Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Library met Oct. 15 with the following people in attendance: Cynthia Blakely, Starr Cure, Judy Hoakison, Bunny Norton, Kay Raymond, Julie Schieffer, Barbara Thomsen, David Hargrove and student representatives, Sarah King and Caprial Norton. Jane King was a guest.
There were additions to the agenda, and the minutes were approved as corrected.
Hargrove noted a new bulletin board has been added to the library for announcements and a wall has been created for a capital campaign display as people enter the library. Lori Vicker will present a program 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 on the Orphan Trains at the library. FOL will host the UCDA coffee Oct. 19 to kickoff the FOL Week. FOL now has a Facebook page with Cure, Schieffer and Chelsea Sorensen as administrators. Hargrove has moved the Iowa non-fiction books into the genealogy room and has found 1940 scrapbooks and old Creston Arts Guild scrapbooks that are now on the new shelves. Hargrove is using the new logo throughout the library for uniform, consistent signage.
The treasurer’s report was placed on file for audit.
New FOL T-shirts have been ordered. Books from Greenfield have been offered for the used book sale and FOL accepted their offer. It was decided to give books on tapes to the hospital for their use. There was discussion about photos with Santa and Valentine cookie bouquets.
The next meeting will be 6 p.m. Nov. 19 at the library.
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GRMC Hospital Auxiliary Board
Nancy, Lois, Jordan and Rhonda approved the agenda and financial reports Oct. 8 during the GRMC Hospital Auxiliary Board meeting.
Amy Rieck gave the administrator’s report:
• Dr. Gerdes has joined the staff as a primary care physician.
• Urgent Care will be moving soon, hopefully before Thanksgiving to the top of the link.
• Ryan Denny has been hired as audiologist. His office will include a hearing lab and the capacity to sell hearing aids.
• A contract with ENT Clinics of Iowa has been approved for once a week visits. The search is ongoing for an in house provider.
• The orthopedics department will be collaborating with both Adair and Clarke County hospitals with Dr. Ralston visiting Adair County and Dr. Kinkade seeing patients in Clarke County. This is a sharing agreement. Dr. Donna Bennet, OBGYN is busy seeing clients. The hospital board has approved a starting wage of $12 per hour for new hires. In conjunction with that measure, the pay was raised for around 50 other employees. It was noted GRMC made the Des Moines Register’s top 50 list of best places to work.
Dates to remember:
• From 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 – volunteer in-service
• Nov. 8 – collective goods sale
• Nov. 12 – next meeting
• Dec. 13 – jewelry sale
• May 1 – linen sale
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GRMC Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop
Lois, Nancy, Jordan and Rhonda were present for the Oct. 8 meeting of the GRMC Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop buying committee. The agenda and financial report was approved, including the $110 change bag balance.
Kayla will be asked to print signs for the 25 percent-off sale on all fall, collegiate, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Willow Tree merchandise starting Oct. 15.
The Christmas open house planned Nov. 6 was discussed with work days scheduled for Nov. 4-5. Tammy W. and Carolyn A. will be asked to help stage the merchandise. The open house will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dates to remember:
11 a.m. Oct. 8 – K and K
9:30 a.m. Nov. 12 – auxiliary gift shop meeting
10 a.m. Nov. 12 – board meeting
9:30 a.m. Dec. 12 – Creative Co-op Inc.
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Kiwanis
The weekly Kiwanis meeting was held 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Windrow meeting room with 21 members and two guests. President Terry Freeman presided, Joe Powers gave the prayer and Kyle Wilson was the finemaster.
The fresh Christmas wreath fundraiser has begun. This is a big fundraiser for the club and members have the order sheets to take orders of fresh evergreen wreaths in two sizes for $20 and $25 and one size of swag for $20. All are decorated with pine cones and a red bow. Contact any member for orders or go to the club’s Facebook page at Kiwanis Club of Creston, Iowa until the end of October to place orders. Delivery of the wreaths will be right before Thanksgiving.
The program was given by Ethan Pitt, director at the Small Business Development Center on the Southwestern Community College campus. He discusses the free services he provides to for profit entrepreneurs and small businesses. Some of the main areas of help are finding funding and social media for businesses. The Small Business Administration provides most of the funds and development for the center, along with the state of Iowa.
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Beta Kappa
Beta Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International met the morning of Oct. 6 in the activity room of the Greenfield Rehab Center with 11 members present. Guests were Stephanie Fluckey, Rural Outreach coordinator with the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center; Lisa Swanson, mental health advocate for Union, Adams and Adair counties; and Deb Theisen-Chenchar, program director of Senior Life Solutions Adair County Health Systems. Each of these panel members presented information focusing on mental and physical health issues.
A thank you was read from Connie Nielsen for the red rose and support and concern she received during her recent illness. A second thank you from Ethel Lee Osborn Tucker for the memorial contribution and support after her husband’s death was also read. A red rose was given to Denise Ackerlund since she lost her brother Brian recently.
State President Karen Dole will be visiting the area 9:30 a.m. Oct. 27 for a brunch in Perry. Cost is $12. After brunch, the group will take a tour of the Alton one-room school. Reservations need to be made with Julie Derby. If anyone would like to car pool, call President Karen Tussey.
If interested in purchasing a magnetic pin or a DKG T-shirt, new orders are being taken. Contact Tussey for information.
Tussey handed out the new program books and the new chapter rules.
Applications for the new mini-grant are due by Dec. 15. Discussion was held concerning ideas for a new project. Since one area for grant money centered on the environment, one idea discussed was to purchase tree seedlings to help replace some of the ash trees being lost in the local communities. Ethel Lee Osborn and Diane Burgmaier volunteered to look into this further and report back at the next meeting.
Members brought boxes of surgical gloves for free clinics that are part of the Malawi project. Members also finished putting together the books for the new teachers at Nodaway Valley, Orient-Macksburg, Earlham and Winterset schools, which was the group’s most recent mini-grant project. It was decided to help fund this project by each member donating $10 to help pay for the books. You may either send your $10 to Deb Bauer or bring it to the next meeting.
The next regular meeting will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the home of Connie Nielsen. The program is entitled “Christmas Crafts,” and members will be creating a Christmas item.
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PEO
The regular business meeting of Chapter AZ was held 5:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the home of Nancy Loudon with Carol Brentnall serving as co-hostess.
By general consent, Sharon Bennett served as corresponding secretary and Kay Raymond served as vice president. Sixteen members responded to roll call and one came in after the roll was called.
The next regular meeting will be Nov. 6 with Joan Gordon serving as hostess and Ann Johnson serving as co-hostess. The next social meeting will be 10 a.m. Oct. 16 at Green Valley State Park. Meet at the Green Valley office/shop for a presentation on history, past and present projects in the park. The next birthday luncheon will be at noon Oct. 25 at the Windrow. Reminder, the international convention will be Sept. 12-14, 2019, in Des Moines. Friday, Oct. 26, Adonica Struhar will be driving to Cottey College to visit Maya and go on a tour of the campus. Contact Adonica if interested in accompanying them. Shirley Lett brought greetings from Chapter JL in Boone and Meg McGrath attended the meeting as well. Presentation of a pin to Brianna Weis was done.
The meeting was closed in due form by the president. Lela Burkhalter gave the program.
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Beta Sigma Phi
Iowa Alpha Sigma Master Chapter met Thursday evening, Oct. 11, at the Pizza Ranch. Following the Beta Sigma Phi grace, members enjoyed dinner and visiting. After the meal, President Loretta Kelly called the meeting to order and members repeated the opening ritual. Roll call was answered with thoughts about global warming. Minutes were read and approved, and a communication from the previous meeting reviewed. Dorothy Eyberg thanked members for communications following the passing of her sister.
Committee reports were given, and it was noted the next meeting will be held at the home of Martha McAuley. At which time, there will be an advancement ritual for McAuley and also a Halloween observance. Eyberg noted an announcement that the state convention is to be held June 21-23 in Cedar Rapids.
Kelly read from “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff “ regarding the necessity for quality patience in our lives to keep us from being easily annoyed and bothered by trivia. She suggested learning to see innocence in the actions of others by keeping an open heart and mind and accepting what is, rather than what we expect.
Norma Putnam gave the program, “There is no Planet B,” during which she discussed the changes on our planet Earth that have taken place during the past 60 years. She pointed out that, even though we have reduced poverty, increased life expectancy and decreased child mortality, we need to be mindful of what is happening to our land, clean water and air supplies, without which we cannot have nutritious food to sustain life. She closed her talk with a quick review of “Mayo,” the Misunderstood Spread.”
The evening concluded with the closing ritual and Mizpah.
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VFW Post 1797
VFW Post 1797 met Oct. 9 at the Elks Lodge in Creston with 17 members and guests present for dinner. Commander Gary O’Daniels called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. with 14 members present.
The post draped the charter for veteran Chester Larson. Minutes and QM reports were read and approved.
Service officers reported 19 hours for community service, 19 hours at the hospital, 18 hours for honor guard and 11 hours at parades, for a total of 67 hours. Officers also traveled 508 miles for veterans.
In old business, members discussed new flag poles at the Freedom Rock and a committee will meet to consider options. Post members put up flags on parade route for Balloon Days and led the homecoming parades in Afton and Creston.
In new business, an update on the VFW building in Afton and discussed and Afton City Council is meeting on the ninth. An update on flag poles at the Freedom rock is that the poles are in and members are getting prepared to set them. Creston First United Methodist Church in will be having a soup supper Nov. 3 to help with Honor Flight next spring. A veteran’s breakfast will be held from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the restored Creston Depot. The post will have a Poppy Day from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov.10, in Creston. A motion was made and approved to pay more to students involved in the VFW Voice of Democracy and Patriot Pen essays.
In district news, the post commander, quartermaster and judge advocate attended the district 4 meeting Sept. 29 in Oskaloosa.
The meeting adjourned at 8 p.m. The next meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Elks Lodge with dinner at 6 p.m. and meeting to follow at 7 p.m. All war veterans are encouraged to attend.
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Kent Dinner Club
Kent Dinner Club met Oct. 11 at Pizza Ranch with six attending.
Next meeting will be 5 p.m. Nov. 8 at Pizza Ranch.
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Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary
Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary met Oct. 17.
Canasta winners were Marilyn Larimore, first; Mary Kline, second; and Gwen Sandeman, third.
Janet Kessler won the door prize.
Larimore will host cards and chatter Wednesday, Oct. 24.