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By LIZ SKILLERN

High School students took center stage this spring, not only in their production of ‘Guys and Dolls’, but also in the spotlight of statewide recognition. Their performances earned

multiple awards from the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, presented by Des Moines Performing Arts on May 29.

Shenandoah’s musical theater students received high praise across the board.

Summer Maher, Drew Morelock, and Jack Murren were each recognized as

Outstanding Performers in a Principal Role, with Murren and Maher also earning the prestigious Triple Threat Award, the coveted Outstanding Overall Performance honor. Special Recognition accolades went to Lucy Autry, Davin Holste, and Annalise McIntosh, while the entire ensemble also received Special Recognition for their work.

“Our students continue to amaze me,” said Ashleigh Smith, Shenandoah High School’s music and theater director. “Honestly, having received some of our highest honors yet, the whole performance was impressive to our judges. It’s truly incredible what these kids have built in our small town.”

Smith said Shenandoah’s achievement stands out even more given its size.

“The other schools receiving the same honors were 3A

and 4A schools,” she said.

“So I imagine it’s pretty impressive to see a small school putting on such a professional production.”

While proud of the awards, Smith said the culture surrounding the theater program is what she values most. “When we first joined this organization, the awards meant everything to me,” she said. “Now, I’m mostly proud of what these kids have built in our community. People look forward to seeing what they can do, they plan around it— and that is more important to me.”

As Shenandoah prepares to say goodbye to a senior class that Smith described as “a class of musicians since they were very young,” she’s confident the stage will stay bright. “We’re losing some incredibly talented kids, and I will miss them so much.

But we have LOTS of talent

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Classified specifications: The Page County Post will run your classified word ad. Just email your wording to phil@pagecountypost.com. If your ad is 10 words or less, it will run for FREE. For ads that are 11-20 words, the price will be $5. For ads that are 21-30 words, the price will be $10, 31-40 is $15, and so on. What can you advertise? Pretty much anything — cars,

When I was a kid — I'm sure many of you did the same thing — we used to jump into a mud puddle with both feet. It didn't matter if we had our new shoes on and were dressed for school or church, or if we had our clean uniform on for a baseball game, if a mud puddle was within our path, our sneakers were finding the bottom of it.

Of course, our parents hated it. But we couldn't figure out why. It was so much fun.

We never thought about what it was doing to our shoes, or our jeans, or our baseball pants, or how those shoes might smell later as a result.

It was all about making that splash.

Every once in a while, I'll realize that I have, indeed, grown up, even if it's only in a select few ways.

Tuesday was one of those rare occurences.

I was delivering papers in Shenandoah when I stepped off a curb and squarely into a mud puddle — something I hadn't experienced in quite some time, especially not on purpose.

This certainly wasn't planned. Although I did see the puddle before taking the step, I mistakenly thought that it was shallow enough that I could straddle the deepest part, step on the edge of it, and project myself to drier pavement. I was wrong.

Not sure if my step was shorter than expected or if the puddle was deeper than I thought, but my shoe went all the

The Page County Post

Shenandoah

coming—why do you think we started a middle school musical?!” With passion and talent,

it’s clear Shenandoah High School’s theater students are writing a story worth applauding.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MANDY MAHER

Shenandoah musical theater students and directors proudly display their awards after receiving high praise at the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards on May 29. Pictured from left with directors Ashleigh and Elliot Smith are Annalise McIntosh, Summer Maher, Davin Holste, and Jack Murren. Not pictured: Drew Morelock and Lucy Autry.

PHIL COBB

Clarinda A's Night

PHOTO

way under.

Yep. New shoes. It was only my left shoe, but it got wet, all the way to my sock.

Of course my first reaction was son a …, but I quickly realized — Thank God we got enough rain to make a substantial mud puddle.

The night before,

Chaundee and I were sitting on our deck, admiring the storm clouds that appeared to be sliding off to our northwest.

A quick look at my weather app told me that we could expect approximately .08 inches of precipitation that night.

Mind you, I think this was the driest spring I remember in my 56 years. We literally had leaves dying on mature trees in and around our yard.

To our surprise, our rain gauge told us we had nearly five inches of rain that night, and since then that total has risen to about six and a half inches altogether, from some good old fashioned thunderstorms.

Although it may have seemed excessive, after some isolated flash flooding, I think the overall results were timely and an absolute blessing to our rural communities.

I know I'm going to have to mow my grass for the first time in two weeks, and I couldn't be more thankful.

************

Here we are in Week No. 18 of the Page County Post and we are still welcoming new advertisers. This week: Sunshine Auction Company, and Miller's Welding. Thank you all. Tuesday, July 1,

Clarinda A's Night

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CLARINDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Dayzie, Bennet and Clarinda A's Player Luke Spencer

Lakin Foundation and Vision

at the SCIA Annual Meeting & Ag Banquet July 15

Jennifer Green, Charles E. Lakin Foundation Manager, and Vision Shenandoah speakers Dr. Margaret Brady and Matt Sells, will be featured at the Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association’s Annual Meeting and Ag Banquet Tuesday, July 15 at the Elks Lodge in Shenandoah.

The mission of the Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association is to improve the economic vitality of Shenandoah, Page, and Fremont Counties, to expand high paying employment opportunities, enhance Shenandoah’s retail shopping, and to support major community projects that improve quality of life.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are requested by July 8 by calling 712-246-3455, or emailing us at chamber@ sciaiowa.com.

The event is open to the public. Alan Armstong will cater the banquet dinner. Those attending can choose from smothered chicken or pot roast, cheesy potatoes, green beans, caesar salad, iced tea and apple crisp or cheesecake. The cost is $30 per person, paid at the door with cash or check. A cash bar will be available.

The SCIA Ag Committee will present the Ag Future of America scholarship and the Friend of Ag award. AFA Scholarships are awarded to Shenandoah, Essex, or Sidney high school seniors pursuing agriculture related four year degrees.

The $4,600.00 scholarships are funded by local businesses and Ag Future of America. This year's scholarships will be awarded to Sidney graduate Ellie Ward and Shenandoah graduate Dalton Athen.

Featured Speaker Jennifer Green is the Foundation Manager for the Charles E. Lakin Foundation, Inc. She has been in this role since 2018. Prior to working for the Foundation, Green worked in non-profit management in Omaha, Nebraska, and still resides there with her family.

Green is very passionate about the work she has been able to do throughout the Southwest Iowa territory.

In addition to her work at the Lakin Foundation, Jennifer is the President of the Omaha Suburban Rotary Club, a Board Member with the Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collective Impact, and volunteers with many other organizations. Green is a graduate from Bellevue University with both a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in human services.

Green was a former collegiate athlete; thus, she typically spends her free

time traveling to her son’s baseball games or playing in women’s soccer and basketball leagues as well as running 5K and 10K races.

Matt Sells is the president of the Vision Shenandoah Board. Sells and his family relocated to Shenandoah in 2013, when he became the Chief Financial Officer of Shenandoah Medical Center. Sells was promoted to President & CEO in March of 2017.

Prior to his move to Southwest Iowa, Sells served as CFO of Brown County Hospital in Ainsworth, Nebraska, and was an active CPA in the audit practice of KPMG in Lincoln.

Sells grew up on a farm outside of Rulo, Nebraska, and attended Doane University in Crete, Nebraska.

Sells serves as President of the SCIA board, is a member of the Bank Iowa Corporate Board of Directors, is Chair of the Iowa Rural

Health Telecommunications Program, is a member of the Iowa Hospital and Education Research Foundation Board of Directors, is a varsity assistant for the Shenandoah High School boys basketball team.

Dr. Margaret Brady is a veterinarian and owner of Healthy Tails Retreat. She works with a team that is passionate about improving the lives of four-legged family members.

The Retreat provides spa days, daycare, pet hotel and “well care” veterinary medicine.

In 2019 Brady saw a need for more housing in the community and has turned dilapidated houses into assets. To date, she has completed and sold seven houses and has four more in process.

A lover of old architecture, she found that she needed a warehouse and workshop.

The Johnson Bros. Mill building needed a new purpose.

Her team has been bringing it back to life. To date, The Mill houses a Weekly Vendors Market, Second Saturday events and The Millcade, a retro arcade.

A Shenandoah native, Brady serves on the board of directors for SCIA and was selected as the Executive Director for Vision Shenandoah to utilize the Charles E. Lakin Foundation

Southwest Iowa initiative.

The SCIA Board of Directors includes president Matt Sells, Shenandoah Medical Center CEO; Vice President Bill Ditmars, KMA; and Treasurer Stephanie Osborn, Wilson Insurance.

Other SCIA Board members are Cory Scammann, Green Plains; Derek Stendsland, Fareway; Jason Goltz, Pella; Amy Zwickel, Shenandoah Inn and Suites; Becky LePorte, LePorte Electric; Dr. Margaret Brady, Healthy Tails Retreat; Julie O’Hara, Jim Hughes Real Estate; Speck Hendrickson, Fremont County Representative; and Jeff Shearer, Fremont County Supervisor.

City liaisons include mayor Roger McQueen and councilman Jon E. Brantner. Dr. Kerri Nelson is the Shenandoah School liaison. Bank liaisons include Adam Wright, Northwest Bank, Kurt Henstorf, First Heritage Bank and Ian Isaacson, Bank Iowa.

Three members were newly elected to the board. They include Jason Goltz, Pella; Sarah Waite, Little Waite Lanes; and Kindra Weston, Midwest Mental Health and Midwest MedSpa.

SCIA Ag Committee members are Nick Bosley, United Group; Ian Isaacson, Bank Iowa; Darin Profit, O’Hara Seed; Rusty Hunter, First Heritage Bank; Cale Jones, Jones Tri-Tower Farms; and Rachel Gordon, Northwest Bank. Local AFA Scholarship contributors are Green Plains Shenandoah, Jay Memorial Trust, Bank Iowa, Wilson Insurance, Vetter Equipment, O’Hara Seed, KMA Radio, First Heritage Bank, Tri-Valley Bank, Bill & Pam Ditmars, Shenandoah Inn & Suites Hotel, Mondo’s Restaurant, Duane & Marylou Rexroth, Lance Cornelius State Farm Insurance, Ed & Star Ann Kloberdanz, Craig & Kathy Harris, Jones Family Tri Tower Farms, Sapp Brothers, McGargill Stock Farms, United Group Insurance, James & Melonie Doyle, and Rawson Stevens Law. The 2025 banquet sponsors are El Porton Mexican Grill, Vetter Equipment, Wilson Insurance, Wild Rose Chevrolet, Lloyd Inc., Craig & Kathy Harris, First Heritage Bank, Pizza Hut, Eyecare Associates of Southwest Iowa, Lance Cornelius Insurance, KMA Broadcasting, Bank Iowa, Mondo’s Restaurant, Brown's Shoe Fit, O’Hara Seed, McDonalds, Rawson Stevens Law, Carrick & Associates, Little Waite Lanes, Subway, Earl May Seed & Nursery Co. and Northwest Bank.