7-25-19 Facets

FACETS

August 2019

The magazine for women.

Nevada school teacher changes her life’s direction Former Mayor Campbell recognized with City Hall plaque

Flamingo Flocking: A student’s idea for raising money

FACETS 2 | FACETS | AUGUST 2019

The magazine for women.

Contributors

MARLYS BARKER RONNA LAWLESS KYLEE MULLEN ROBBIE SEQUEIRA

Design

ADVERTISERS To advertise in Facets magazine, contact Mary Beth Scott at (515) 663-6951 PHONE (515) 663-6923

CHELSEA PARKS

ADDRESS 317 Fifth St. Ames, IA, 50010

Tribune Editor

EMAIL news@amestrib.com

MICHAEL CRUMB

ONLINE www.amestrib.com/sections/ special-sections/facets Facets is a monthly publication of GateHouse Media Iowa Holdings.

Fourth-grade Gilbert Middle School students, teachers, family members and representatives from Raising Readers in Story County officially opened the city’s new Little Free Library on June 19, at Lions Park in Gilbert. Contributed photo see PAGE 17

ON THE COVER

Julie Saxton, mental health advocate with the Ames Police Department, is one of the organizers of the Story County Mental Health Expo. Photo by Ronna Lawless/GateHouse Iowa

see PAGE 10 & 11

FACETS Table of contents Features 6

Nevada School Teacher

Heading into Ministry

10 Mental Health Expo

An evening of hope and healing

14 Little Free Pantry

Located in Story City

In Brief 4 Kragel’s travel-inspired design places second 8

Flamingo Flocking

9

Former Mayor Campbell recognized

12 Iowa’s new poet Laureate 16 Schoefer excited to be Ames Public Library’s new director 17 Little free library in Gilbert 18 ISU students thinking of new ways to help Puerto Rico’s recovery from future hurricanes

Savor 20 Savory and Rich French Red Mighty match for Steak

22 Watermelon and Goat Cheese Summer Romance

23 Best Key Lime Pie Recipe Fiona Bakery

FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 3

In Brief

Kragel’s travel-inspired design places second in national competition

By Kylee Mullen GateHouse Iowa

S

amantha Kragel learned of Sherwin-Williams’ Student Design Challenge during her junior year at Iowa State University. When she decided to enter, she never imagined she would place in the top three.

She was happily surprised when she placed second in the residential design category with her rendering “Wanderer,” winning a $1,000 cash prize. She is the first ISU student to place in the top three of this competition.

“When I started looking at other people’s submissions online, I didn’t think I had a chance. I thought, ‘these people are insanely good,’” she said. “When I found out, well, I’m not going to say that I didn’t cry a significant amount.”

Sherwin-Williams’ ninth-annual student competition attracted more than 750 design students from across the nation, the most entries received in the challenge’s history.

It required students to submit color renderings of either a residential or commercial interior space using a minimum of three Sherwin-Williams’ colors.

The competition closed in March, and submissions were judged by a panel including Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams; Patti Carpenter, principal at Carpenter + Company/Trendscope; and Martyn Lawrence, principal and owner of Martyn Lawrence Bullard Design.

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Winners were announced June 18.

Kragel, who will be a senior this fall, said she decided to enter primarily because it sounded fun, and she hoped it would be an interesting addition to her resume.

“I really just thought it could be a fun project, and I could really benefit from it. That was the driving force behind it,” she said. “I liked this particular competition because it was so open-ended, and I just felt like it left a lot of room for interpretation and creativity.”

Kragel used the software Sketch-Up and plug in V-Ray to create a living room, kitchen and bedroom rendering. She chose to base her designs off of Sherwin-Williams’ 2019 forecasted palette “Wanderer,” which features earthy browns, oranges and blues.

According to Wadden, Kragel’s decision to use the palette was one of the factors that led to her design’s success.

“Samantha clearly researched Sherwin-Williams a little bit and knew what our color of the year and trend palettes were,” Wadden said. “I was impressed with the overall comprehensiveness of her work, and it was beautiful.”

Kragel said she began to visualize the style and mood she was going to create within her designs the moment she landed on the palette, and as the details of the space began to

ISU interior design student Samantha Kragel placed second in Sherwin-Williams’ ninth annual Student Design Challenge. Photo contributed by Sherwin-Williams

In Brief KRAGEL’S DESIGN continued from page 4

develop, so did the story behind her hypothetical client.

“I wanted it to be a boho, earthy home of a traveler,” she said. “You can see that in a lot of the treasures they would be collecting throughout the space, and it coincides with that free-spirit person who wants to see the world, travel and bring home precious things.”

She also wanted to ensure the space looked and felt luxurious, while focusing primarily on comfort. That focus, which she applies to nearly every residential design she creates, came from something a professor said in one of her courses at ISU. “He said something along the lines of ‘you want your design to feel luxurious, but not so untouchable that you couldn’t curl up on the couch with a Kleenex box,’” she said.

“That rang in my ears, and that really is what makes a good design. I wanted this to be artfully done, intentionally done, but I can also see myself going in there, cuddling up and watching TV.” According to Madden, she judged designs primarily on their concept, color usage and design statement. She said Kragel’s design was successful in each of those categories, and she was impressed by the attention to detail.

“The design was great, it was beautifully rendered, the colors were well chosen, and so overall it was just a great project,” she said. “She was so on-trend with what is going on in residential design today, and I think that she clearly

knows her stuff.”

Kragel is proud of those details, and said she put a lot of work into customizing every piece she put into her renderings. She wanted her design to achieve more than convey an idea, by also functioning as a piece of art in itself.

The added work it took to do that, she said, was worth the final result.

“It was extremely rewarding, and I put a lot of work into it. It was fun, but a lot of work,” she said. “Making it as a finalist was kind of crazy. You can clearly look and see in the other renderings that these are all hard-working design students from across the county, so it’s really just an honor.”

Madden said she is continuously impressed by the skill and professionalism students show in their renderings, and she looks forward to continuing the challenge in the future.

Kragel, on the other hand, is excited to finally share the news of her second-place win and take the experience with her as she continues her journey toward becoming an interior designer.

“One day, some of my stuff is going to be made in the real world, and that is pretty cool,” she said. “This competition has really put things into perspective for me, that maybe I will be okay when I graduate.”

Samantha Kragel researched Sherwin-Williams’ color of the year and trend palettes to inspire the shades for her design. Photo contributed by Samantha Kragel

Samantha Kragel infused her interior design with the boho, earthy feel of a world traveler. Photo contributed by Samantha Kragel

Sherwin-Williams’ 2019 forecasted palette “Wanderer,” which features earthy browns, oranges and blues, was part of the inspiration for Samantha Kragel’s award-winning design. Photo contributed by Samantha Kragel FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 5

Feature

Nevada teacher changes her life’s direction by heading into the ministry

By Marlys Barker GateHouse Iowa

A

fter 10 years of teaching third-fourth multi-age in Nevada and loving every minute of it, 32-year-old Maggie Davis has finally decided to listen to the “audible voice of God” and take her life in an entirely new direction.

She announced to her boss, co-workers and students in April that she wouldn’t be returning to her teaching career at Nevada next fall.

The decision to leave and study ministry, she noted, has been building for about three years.

Over these past few years, “I started spending time … in solitude.

I’ve spent time, hours just sitting and processing … what would this (a change to ministry) look like?” said Davis, a 2005 graduate of Nevada High School, whose parents, Mike and Robyn Davis, live in Maxwell, and are welcoming her back to their home for a while as she begins her new life journey.

To understand how Davis has come to her current crossroads, you have to look back to her college experience.

She attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, right after high school. She wanted to become a teacher, and she knew this university, known as a “teacher school,” was the place for her.

Her influence to become a teacher came both from her family and teachers she had at Nevada. “I knew in fifth grade with Mr. (Pat) Sullivan. … When I look back in my journals, I wanted to be a fifthgrade teacher, just like him. I love learning and growing.”

As it turned out, she wasn’t far from that grade level in her own teaching career. “I student taught in third and then in fourth, so it was really sweet to get a job that was third-fourth multi-age,” she said of the grade level she has taught her entire time at Nevada’s Central Elementary School.

While in college, one thing Davis became very active with was the Wesley Student Center, which is affiliated with the Methodist Church.

She had worked at First United Methodist Church in Nevada during the summers when she was in high school and also while in college. She loved working with youth, planning mission trips, doing retreats and more. A lover of music, she also became very involved in the Methodist church’s youth band.

Nevada High School teacher Bob Mittman was the one who encouraged her to check out the Wesley Student Center when she got to Maryville. “He said, you go there and find Don Ehlers and his wife, Marjean.” And that’s what she did.

“I started going there to worship, take part in small groups and then I even lived there (in their housing units).”

During her first year, people at the Wesley Student Center asked her if she wanted to do an internship. She jumped at the opportunity. What it entailed was a lot of ministry in small rural churches in that area.

“College students provide the worship, bulletins and such for each Sunday,” she said.

Davis worked with two rural churches — Skidmore Methodist Church at Skidmore and Burr Oak Methodist Church, outside of Skidmore. For four years, she was part of a team that took turns

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Maggie Davis is shown on center stage at Harvest Vineyard Church in Ames last week as she helped lead Vacation Bible School. Contributed photo planning worship at the churches once or twice a month. “We used the liturgical calendar to plan the bulletin, plan the service, pick out the hymns and songs, plan the sermon or message and any prayers …”

When it was her turn, “I would lead the whole service.”

Little did she know at the time, but her work with these small churches would plant a seed for ministry in her life.

The hardest thing in recent years was to finally admit that God was calling her to the ministry. It was hard, she said because she loved her teaching career so much. “But, I knew I couldn’t do both. … I’m an all-in, 110 percent person and my kids deserve all 110 percent of me every day when I’m at school.”

As happy as she is for the new direction her life is heading, she admitted in recent weeks since the school year ended, “it’s hard to leave something you love. I loved my (teaching) job. I’m still grieving, and I know that. I’m still sad… even though I’m excited for what’s coming.”

Trusting God with her future For a while now, Davis has been attending Harvest Vineyard Church in Ames, which is associated with “The Vineyard,” a movement that started in the 1980s, she said. She was drawn to the church because of its belief that “everybody gets to play.”

What does that mean?

To Davis, it means that even as a female, “I can lead and pursue being a leader in a church,” and honestly, she added, “not everyone agreed with me on that when I was in college.”

The Vineyard movement isn’t about denominations, either. “It’s not like I’m in this church and you’re in that one,” Davis said. “We (Christians) are all on the same team.”

She feels she has grown through Harvest Vineyard Church. “I have grown a lot in just my knowledge of who God is and the Holy Spirit …

I knew God and Jesus, who they were before, but not the Holy Spirit. … This is a kingdom of learning and growing. It feels like home; it’s a community.”

The leaders at Harvest Vineyard have been very supportive of Davis and her desire to enter the ministry. She started taking classes online with the Vineyard Institute, one at a time a while back, but now, she will be taking three or four classes at a time, while also doing a church

TEACHER TO MINISTRY, continued from page 6

planting internship.

The three pastors at Harvest Vineyard Church have supported her so much that they’ve created the internship for her. “I don’t even have a job description yet,” she said with a smile. “I literally said ‘no’ to my (teaching) job, without knowing what I’d be doing.”

This is how being called works, she now believes. “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. … This is me learning obedience. This takes a lot of faith. …

I only see one step in front of me, and even though I’d really like God to tell me what’s (way ahead). … I just clearly heard, you need to take this step. Just put your foot here.”

What she anticipates for her internship and in taking the courses toward earning her Advanced Biblical Certificate is that she’ll learn more about how leadership works. “I’m going to do something called spiritual director training. It’s different than having a mentor or a coach — it’s about being with people and loving them and asking questions.”

She will be able to take the spiritual director training in Ames, which is exciting because it hasn’t been offered locally in recent years. “I’ll be with a cohort, and the training will include five retreats during the school year. The first one is in August,” she said.

The one thing Davis has found interesting with her huge life change is that no one who knows her has been all that surprised with her announcement.

“Most people were like, ‘We know,’” she said. “This (passion for ministry) is so a part of who I am. … Everyone has been very supportive.”

She very much wants the people of Nevada to know how much she has appreciated their support of her as a student, a teacher and a person

Feature throughout her years in the community.

“I’m so proud to have been a Nevada grad, to come back home and teach, to be a Kiwanian. … This is my community and I’m so proud of it. … I have been so supported and loved … and the people in Nevada have looked at me, saw the potential in me and always encouraged and supported me in anything that I wanted to do.”

She continued, “Even though it feels like I’m leaving, walking away, I still have my community loving on me and being super supportive.

Everyone’s like, ‘You can do this.’”

In recent days, Davis said her thoughts have been on her own core values. “I value growth and experience and appreciation and acceptance and meeting people where they are. At school, I got to do that every day. … At church, it’s really sweet, because I can really share, I can really tell people” all that there is to love about the Christian experience.

Maggie Davis (center) is shown with her third-fourth multi-age class this past school year. Davis has resigned as a teacher to pursue a career in ministry.

Contributed photo

FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 7

Feature In Brief

Flamingo flocking: A Nevada student’s unique idea to raise money for school trip

By Kylee Mullen GateHouse Iowa

A

Nevada High School student brought a flock of plastic flamingos to Nevada, spreading them throughout the community to raise money for a school trip to Costa Rica.

Erin Coogler, an upcoming junior at Nevada High School, said she is looking forward to her school’s 2020 Costa Rica trip, where she will learn about Costa Rica’s culture and participate in activities including hiking, canoeing and working with a local school.

However, she wanted to find a unique way to help cover the $2,500 fee. That is where the idea of flamingo flocking was born.

“I wanted to do something different than what other people would do,” she said. “There are group fundraisers doing things like selling bracelets or coffee, things like that, but I didn’t want to do what everyone else is doing.”

Instead, she started thinking of ways she could raise money while also having fun and involving the community. The winning idea, she said, came from her mother.

“My mom came home one night and said she thought of this idea. We had done some things like this in the past with a family friend, where we would do things like ‘forking’ each other or putting Dum Dums in each other’s yards,” she said.

“It’s like a fun game, and we wanted to bring the community into it.”

Orders are placed on Coogler’s fundraiser website.

Under the cover of darkness, Coogler will place a dozen pink, plastic flamingos in the yard of the ordered address, along with signage describing the fundraiser. Flamingos are placed

8 | FACETS | AUGUST 2019

on Thursday and Sunday nights.

The flamingos will remain in place for two days, unless the homeowner requests their removal sooner. After the two days are up, Coogler retrieves the flock and prepares them for their next location.

The first flock of flamingos appeared at Chris Boor’s Nevada residence on June 28. He ordered the flock for his wife.

“My wife dreams of living in Florida. Someday we will get there, but for now I like to tease her with the vision of what it would look like. You shoulda seen that smile this morning,” Boor said Boor said he wanted to support Coogler’s fundraiser because he was impressed by her initiative and he thought her idea was unique.

“Very unique idea! Of course I’m going to support something like that,” he said. “It’s awesome to see a teen take control of her own finances when it comes to her trip. Makings of a strong woman … I really hope she makes her goal.”

The cost for a two-day flocking is $20 and, according to Coogler, it is worth every laugh. Her schedule quickly filled for both June and July, and she hopes to continue the fundraiser through the fall in order to meet her $2,500 goal. By late-June she had raised nearly $500.

For more information about Coogler’s fundraiser, email nevadaflamingo@gmail.com or visit www.cupofcandy.com/ flamingos

Erin Coogler is spreading plastic flamingos across Nevada as a way to raise money for a 2020 school trip to Costa Rica. The first flock appeared at Chris Boor’s Nevada residence on June 28.

Photo by Kylee Mullen/GateHouse Iowa

In Brief

Former Mayor Campbell recognized with City Hall plaque

By Robbie Sequeira GateHouse Iowa

T

In 2005, the Ames Historical Society began honoring history and accomplishments of past Ames mayors through commemorative plaques that hang on the northeast wall in the City Hall lobby.

he accomplishments of Ann Campbell’s three-term tenure as Ames mayor continues to play a vital role in the city’s landscape.

From the expansions of both Ames Public Library and the CyRide facility, to the construction of Furman Aquatic Center and the Ames Water Treatment Plant, from 2006-18, Campbell oversaw the city in its most-recent growth period as Iowa State University’s population saw an increase of 14,000 during her time in office.

Campbell was recognized recently with a commemorative mayoral plaque in City Hall, becoming the 42nd plaque added to the exhibit of mayoral plaques that adorns the walls of City Hall.

“As I reflect on the opportunity I’ve had as mayor, I got the chance to meet a lot of other mayors in Story County, the state of Iowa and beyond,” Campbell said. “I never failed to come home from those meetings and say, the best place in the world to be mayor is Ames, Iowa.”

Former Ames Mayor Ann With a political career that has spanned over 40 years, Campbell’s plaque hangs on Campbell’s first foray into community service was a member of the League of Women Voters and Story County in 1975, and also the northeast wall in the lobby of City Hall. Photo by Robbie fulfilled duties with Youth and Shelter Services and Heartland Sequeira/GateHouse Iowa Senior Services.

She was also the former president of the Campustown Action Association and the Ames Transit Advisory Board.

In that time, she shaped the beginning of the city’s transportation system, CyRide — becoming the first chairperson for the future-Ames Transit Advisory Board, tasked with finding addressing the need for transportation in a growing college town.

But Campbell etched herself as constant in the Ames government, starting a 16-year career on the City Council, prior to her election as mayor in 2006. In a 12-year mayoral run, Campbell served with 17 different City Council members and chaired 560 city meetings.

Campbell’s tenure was also the impetus for the city’s philosophical shift into environmentally focused efforts, signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Additionally, she worked with Iowa State University to hire a sustainability coordinator, invested in expanded trails, parks and hybrid buses, and converted the Ames Power Plant from coal to natural gas.

And in the city’s hard times, the floods of 2010, Campbell made herself a persistent face of leadership, helping the residents cope with damages and uncertainty.

Campbell’s successor, Mayor John Haila, who affectionately refers to her as “my Mayor,” spoke glowingly of his friend and mentor during the unveiling ceremony.

“She listens, she cares and she’s a friend of everyone here,” Haila said. “She takes a personal interest in everyone here at City Hall.

Ann does not relish the spotlight, and she’s an excellent example of humility and service.”

Retirement hasn’t phased Campbell out of the ins-and-outs of the city, with her most recent involvement helping facilitate the private fundraising efforts for the Healthy Life Center Project, that will be on the ballot in a Sept. 10 special election.

Ann Campbell, who served as mayor from 2006-2018, was recognized June 28 with a commemorative mayoral plaque, courtesy of the Ames Historical Society. Photo by Robbie Sequeira/GateHouse Iowa

FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 9

Feature

Mental Health Expo offers free info and support

By Ronna Lawless GateHouse Iowa

T

he fifth-annual Story County Mental Health Expo will be held on Monday, Sept. 16, from 6 to 8:30 at the Memorial Union. The free event is open to the public and will offer a wealth of information and insight about mental health issues, such as trauma, stress and substance abuse.

The event, which is titled “An Evening of Hope and Healing,” will offer free admission, vouchers for free parking, refreshments and door prizes. A resource fair will be held from 6 to 7 p.m., with local mental health organizations and businesses providing information about their services.

“This community event provides information, community resources and practical everyday tools to better understand and manage mental health issues,” said Julie Saxton, mental health advocate with the Ames Police Department.

“Community providers will have vendor tables offering information about their programs and offer support to those attending,” she said.

Each vendor will also offer a $50 certificate for free products or services. The certificates will be featured in a drawing and awarded to people in attendance at the expo.

This year Jake Sullivan, former ISU basketball player, will be the keynote speaker at the Mental Health Expo.

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Sullivan has struggled with his own mental health and is an advocate for others struggling with similar issues.

He will speak on the theme of “Hope in the Midst of Suffering.”

Sullivan was a Top 100 Basketball recruit out of Tartan High School in Oakdale, Minn. He went on to play college basketball at Iowa State University from 2000-2004. While at Iowa State, Sullivan won Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, three-time Academic All-American, and was voted to the All-Century Team at Iowa State, which recognized the top 10 players in the 100-year history of Iowa State basketball.

Following his basketball career at ISU, Sullivan went on to start two non-profit organizations, which intertwine two of his passions: basketball and his faith.

The first, founded in 2009, is one of the largest and most diverse youth organizations in Iowa with over 500 athletes on nearly 50 youth basketball teams.

In 2015, Sullivan founded his second non-profit which serves in four African countries. The organization cares for more than 150 orphans, serves nearly 1,200 kids in its various schools, operates three mission campuses and has a growing sports ministry.

Feature

MENTAL HEALTH EXPO, continued from page 10

In January of 2018, Sullivan returned home to Minnesota and is a student and young adult pastor.

In the midst of various accomplishments on and off the basketball court, Sullivan has found victory in his battle with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The journey with mental illness has been a foundational experience that has driven him to provide hope to those in the midst of deep pain and suffering.

Personally, Jake and his wife of 15 years, Janel, have six children: Justice, 16, JJ, 12, Jennifer, 12, Jayla, 11, Jasara, 8, and Jacoby, 5, and they are in the final stages of adopting Julius, 11, from Ghana, Africa.

The program, including Sullivan’s keynote speech, will start at 7 p.m.

Saxton said Sullivan is a great motivator and example that anyone can suffer from mental health issues; there should be no stigma in seeking help.

“Mental illness is a disease,” Saxton said. “If you had diabetes, you would take steps to treat it – go to the doctor, take medicine, make lifestyle changes. Mental health is no different.”

The Mental Health Expo has grown each year, and last year more than 300 people attended. Saxton is hopeful that it will continue to thrive.

There is certainly a foundation of support from a number of organizations that form the Expo Committee.

“Our amazing committee consists of individuals who represent YSS, Optimae Life Services, Ames Police Department, ISU Police Department, ISU counseling, Community & Family Resources, Lutheran Services in Iowa, NAMI Central Iowa and Central Iowa Community Services,” Saxton said.

“We are very passionate about providing education support and hope for recovery to those suffering from a variety of mental health and substance abuse issues and are proud to be part of this annual event.”

Former ISU basketball player, Jake Sullivan, will be the keynote speaker at the fifth-annual Story County Mental Health Expo on Sept. 16. Contributed photo

Julie Saxton, mental health advocate with the Ames Police Department, is one of the organizers of the Story County Mental Health Expo. Photo by Ronna Lawless/GateHouse Iowa FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 11

In Brief

A journey from ashes to Iowa’s Poet Laureate

By Kylee Mullen GateHouse Iowa

I

owa State University’s distinguished professor of English, Debra Marquart, was recently named the new Iowa Poet Laureate. However, her journey was not an easy or typical one. In fact, it started, she said, when her dreams went up in smoke.

Literally.

“It’s a long story, and it’s quite complicated,” the North Dakota native said. “It was a moment in my life where, for one single, small moment, all of the stars were aligned. We had everything. And then, in that summer of 1980, we lost everything.”

That summer, Marquart had been traveling with a band, writing original music and singing on-stage when a gasoline fire destroyed her band’s equipment truck. The loss of $60,000 worth of guitars, microphones, drums and other equipment sent Marquart’s rising musical career into a downward spiral.

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Debra Marquart, Iowa’s new poet laureate, performs poetry with The Bone People, a rhythm and blues group. Photo contributed by Debra Marquart

In Brief IOWA’S POET LAUREATE, continued from page 12

“It’s interesting how drastically your life can be changed by one event, and what happens to your dreams after something like that happens. How do you live with yourself? I always point to that time of my life as a major correction in my path,” she said.

After that, the band limped along for a year with the help of a bandmate’s parents and donations from other area musicians. Eventually, however, the band broke up, and Marquart returned home.

Marquart, who grew up on a farm in the small GermanRussian community of Napoleon near Fargo, N.D., always considered music her “first and most consistent love affair.”

For a while, prior to starting her life on the road, it seemed she would never be able to pursue her musical dream.

“When I graduated from high school, I knew I would go to college. I didn’t know what I would go to college for, just that I would go. I ended up choosing social work as my major because my parents said that I had to graduate in four years and choose a major where I would get a job after graduation,” she said.

She was two courses shy of graduation when she worked as a state hospital intern. It was an eye-opening experience, she said, that made her realize social work would never make her happy.

“I realized that I made the wrong decision and I was travelling down the wrong path. That left me, as a senior in college, kind of confused, panicked and depressed,” she said.

“Somewhere in that desperate state, I made an irrational decision to drop out of college and it led me back to music.”

She joined a band, scraped together just enough money to get by each month and everything was, according to Marquart, going well. That was when the fire became yet another fork in what was becoming a jagged road.

For a few years, she was able to join and travel with another band in Rapid City, S.D., but it, too, eventually fell through and her career as a touring musician came to a close. That, she said, is when she turned to writing.

“After I came off the road and wasn’t singing professionally anymore, I started transitioning into writing poetry,” she said.

“I started off just writing poems and lyrics in notebooks, then I started really writing in earnest.”

She finished her undergraduate degree and then continued on to earn a master’s degree at Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minn. Then, she received a one-year fellowship in 1991 at Iowa State University, where she went on to earn a master’s degree in creative writing.

“I thought I would come, stay here for one year to write and then move on. Instead, I ended up staying here all these years.

Every year, something good has happened,” she said. “Ames is just a really nice place to live, and it’s easy to live in Ames.”

Marquart jumped head-first into creative writing during this time, using her experience in music and her newfound love of poetry to create a fusion of the two. She adapts many of her poems into jazz poetry, which she performs with The Bone People, and performs her poetry like she would perform a song.

“There is a really natural connection between music and poetry, so I started using what I knew about lyrics, meter,

Iowa’s poet laureate, Debra Marquart, began her career as a touring musician before a fire caused her to focus more on poetry. She is now a professor at Iowa State University. Photo contributed by Debra Marquart

time and rhythm” she said. “I wanted to make my poems just a little bit more like a performance. It was a natural progression.”

Today, Marquart is a professor at ISU, where she began working in 1995, and an award-winning author of six books.

She has delivered more than 250 invited readings and keynotes at universities and conferences around the world.

She is also a recipient of more than 50 grants and awards, and is working on two books, one focused on the oil boom in her home state and a memoir about her journey.

More recently, Marquart was appointed as Iowa’s new poet laureate by Gov. Kim Reynolds, a two-year honorary title making her a voice for Iowa’s poetry communities.

“When I found out that I was selected (as the new poet laureate), I just felt really welcomed to the state. I really still thought of myself as a North Dakotan, even though I’ve lived in Iowa since ‘91. I had a new feeling about being an Iowan after I got the word, and had a feeling that I’m really a citizen now,” she said.

As poet laureate, Marquart hopes to travel to rural communities, not unlike the one she grew up in, and hold creative writing workshops in schools, libraries and community centers for both children and adults across Iowa.

“I was a dreamy, imaginative child growing up in a small town, and I can’t imagine what it would have been like if a poet had shown up to school one day. I want to do that,” she said.

She also hopes to show those interested in writing, or those who aren’t sure what to do with their lives, “one thing will just lead to another, and it eventually turns into a path.”

Debra Marquart performed in Parks Library as part of the “Monday Monologues” series back in February. Photo by Christopher Gannon FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 13

Feature

Little Free Pantry opens in Story City

By Ronna Lawless GateHouse Iowa

I

t was a labor of love by many people in the community, and it was more than a year in the planning. After all the work and planning, a Little Free Pantry was dedicated June 19 in Story City. The pantry of non-perishable items is located next to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry at 510 Pennsylvania Ave., but it’s not officially connected to that organization.

“We thought this would be a good location for a Little Free Pantry,” said Pastor Kurt Jensen from Immanuel Lutheran Church, who spoke at the dedication event.

Church leaders in the Roland-Story Ministerial Association worked in cooperation to get the Little Free Pantry going. The colorful little pantry is available to anyone who has the need and is also open to anyone who has something to share.

“Churches came together several years ago to create Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry,” Jensen said. “And RolandStory Middle School opened the Norsemen Food Pantry at the school in Roland. They were wonderful outreach efforts, but they both have limited hours.”

Since not everyone who is food insecure is available during the open hours, those involved thought the “Little Food Pantry is a wonderful way for people in our community to help neighbors who are struggling to put meals on the

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table,” Jensen said.

Little Free Pantries are similar to the Little Free Libraries that have been popping up in communities all over the country, including several in Story City. In 2016, a woman named Jessica McClard adapted the idea to feed hungry people and built a Little Free Pantry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, Ark. She also started a website, www.littlefreepantry.org.

It took a number of dedicated people to get Story City’s Little Free Pantry started, and it will continue to require volunteers to keep it stocked and maintained.

Joe Ahrens donated his time and materials to build the little pantry, which has a fun, whimsical theme.

Shelli Hassebrock, an art teacher at Ames High School, enlisted two of her advanced students to design and paint the pantry. Those students, Leah Wolter and Gretchen Webber, graduated from AHS this spring; they used a Story City Antique Carousel theme on the little pantry.

Town & Country Insurance raised funds for signage and the initial stocking of the Little Free Pantry.

Ashlee Mullenbach is coordinating volunteers to check and restock it one day a month.

Anyone can give what they have or take what they need.

Items include: non-perishable food items, paper products,

LITTLE FREE PANTRY, continued from page 14

Feature

school supplies, diapers and personal care items, except for razors and other sharp items.

The basic guidelines are posted on the Little Free Pantry, and more information is available on www.littlefreepantry.org.

“The Little Free Pantry is a service ministry by the community, for the community,” Jensen said. “It’s another way for local people to help one another. We’re excited to be a part of it!”

Joe Ahrens designed and built the Little Free Pantry, and Ames High School seniors Leah Wolter and Gretchen Webber from Shelli Hassebrock’s class painted it with an Antique Carousel theme. Contributed photo

The Little Free Pantry is located next to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, 510 Pennsylvania Ave., and is open to anyone in need. Photo by Ronna Lawless/GateHouse Iowa

FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 15

In Brief

Sheila Schofer is the new director of Ames Public Library. Photo by Kylee Mullen/GateHouse Iowa

Schofer excited to be Ames Public Library’s new director

By Kylee Mullen GateHouse Iowa

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heila Schofer, Ames Public Library’s new director, hopes to combine her Iowa roots with her New York experience, and she’s excited to get to know the Ames community along the way.

“I was really impressed by Ames,” Schofer said to the Tribune in mid-June. “This is an amazing library and an amazing community that is very engaged, very supportive of their library and very supportive of their community.

“It’s a pretty cool place, and that is something to be proud of.”

Schofer, a Davenport native, earned a bachelor’s degree in English and history from her hometown’s St. Ambrose University. Later, she earned a master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

She then joined Brooklyn Public Library in 1996, where she held a range of positions. Most recently, beginning in 2014, she served as director of neighborhood and public services for the Brooklyn library.

“I didn’t necessarily have a driving desire to go to New York, but I had a wonderful opportunity come up there,” she said. “I went to Brooklyn, N.Y., and I had an amazing career where I got to work with all kinds of diverse communities.”

Schofer also served as regional librarian — Northeast Region — from 2012-14, coordinator of young adult services from 2004-12, manager of library services — children’s specialist — from 2003-04, regional youth services specialist from 1999-2003, assistant branch manager from 1998-99, and librarian from 1996-97. “(My most recent position) was wonderful, but I still have family in Iowa,” she said. “I felt the call to come back and, when I saw opportunities, I went for it.”

Schofer was announced as the new director for Ames Public Library after national recruitment by the library’s

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Board of Trustees in March. She started her new position on May 31, succeeding Lynne Carey, who retired from the director’s position after 36 years with the library and nearly 16 years as its director.

Schofer said she hopes to continue the library’s “long tradition of excellence” and grow the library’s partnership opportunities within the community.

“My vision is to continue the robust community, and the work with our city partners when there are opportunities to work with them and all of the city departments,” she said. “I think our goal is to take stock of those community partners, look at what we are doing and look at where there are opportunities to grow or expand.

“It is also to continue growing our programming for all ages.”

Currently, the Ames Public Library is in the midst of summer reading activities, maker activities and summer meals meant to keep children engaged over the summer.

Schofer said she is excited for the innovative opportunities Ames Public Library will offer.

“A lot of libraries are similar. We have similar missions, we serve a diverse community, we serve people from babies through seniors, so a lot is the same,” Schofer said.

“Sometimes, it’s just a matter of scale that is different.

“In a smaller system or in a one library location, you don’t have to replicate it across 58 branches, so you can be more innovative and I think we do have some amazing things.”

Mostly, however, she is just excited to get to know the library staff and Ames community members.

“I’m just anxious to get to know our community a little better,” she said. “I am most excited about the people. I think this is a really caring, dedicated staff and a really engaged, supportive community. That feels really good.”

In Brief

Students help Raising Readers in Story County redesign and replace a Little Free Library in Gilbert or replace efforts in other communities. If the grant is awarded,they hope to continue those efforts soon.

By Kylee Mullen GateHouse Iowa

A

pproximately seven years ago, Raising Readers in Story County began placing Little Free Libraries across the community. Some of those libraries are now in need of repair, and the organization turned to local students to help.

The libraries — small, wooden boxes for free “take a book, return a book” exchanges — were originally placed with a single goal in mind: improving access to books for under-served populations while encouraging love for reading from a young age.

According to Lisa Reeves, executive director for Raising Readers in Story County, there are nearly 70 little libraries in the area today.

“It’s important to have these libraries so that children can have access to quality books,” Reeves said. “Not all children can make it to a city library, so we want to have these in convenient locations where they can still get their hands on books over the summer and prevent summer slide.”

The Gilbert Free Little Library, located at Lions Park, was one of the first placed by the organization seven years ago.

Reeves said after seven hot summers, seven cold winters and seven storm seasons, it was time to replace the library with a new one.

A Raising Readers in Story County board member, Dan Franklin of Ames, worked with Gilbert Intermediate School fourth-grade teachers Mary Clark and Chelsea Steil for the project.

A media release from Raising Readers in Story County said both teachers were confident their students would be up to the challenge of designing and painting Gilbert’s new little library, and quickly the students got to work.

The students started with a plain white structure, and students chose to base their design on reading and the school’s mascot, Tigers.

“They spent a lot of time painting it, and they did a really fantastic job on it,” Reeves said. “It just gives them a sense of pride to know they helped with something that provides books to everyone in the neighborhood.”

Raising Readers applied for a grant to continue repair

Gilbert’s new Little Free Library officially opened on June 19 at Lions Park in Gilbert. The library replaces one that had been placed in the park for seven years. Photo by Kylee Mullen/GateHouse Iowa

Fourth-grade Gilbert Middle School students, teachers, family members and representatives from Raising Readers in Story County officially opened the city’s new Little Free Library on June 19, at Lions Park in Gilbert. Contributed photo FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 17

In Brief

Iowa State University urban design studio students and faculty visit the colorful umbrella installation on Fortaleza Street in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Contributed photo

ISU students rethinking ways to improve Puerto Rico’s recovery from future hurricanes

By Kylee Mullen GateHouse Iowa

H

urricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sep. 20, 2017, becoming the strongest hurricane to hit the Caribbean island in nearly a century. It compounded destruction caused

by Hurricane Irma weeks before, and approximately 3,000 lives were lost.

In the wake of these disasters and ongoing economic hardship, Iowa State University students are piloting a design competition to rethink ways to improve community resiliency and strengthen infrastructure.

Ten undergraduate and graduate students are participating in the interdisciplinary summer studio, looking at home and infrastructure resilience in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They are working with the University of Puerto Rico, which will hold the formal competition once the U.S. government approves disaster funding.

“It was clear that Puerto Rico is a great example of the intersection of multiple issues in the future. From climate change and a difficult political or economical situation, to the natural disasters in the series of hurricanes they’ve had and are likely to continue to happen in the future,” said Luis Rico-Gutierrez, professor of architecture and dean of 18 | FACETS | AUGUST 2019

the ISU College of Design.

“The question is, how can design help the local communities to confront those challenges?”

Eight of the students, along with Rico-Gutierrez and Ben Shirtcliff, assistant professor of landscape architecture and urban design, traveled to San Juan from June 16-21, to try and find answers for that question.

According to a news release from the Iowa State University College of Design, the students spent their time in the U.S. territory studying Old San Juan, exploring the Caño Martin Peña and Rio Piedras neighborhoods — two of the hardest hit by Hurricanes Maria and Irma — and conducting interviews.

Raymond Nurse, an architecture and urban design graduate student at ISU, said it was a unique experience. Having come to Iowa from Barbados, another Caribbean island, he was interested in how different the conditions in Puerto Rico are from his hometown.

“It really gives you a different perspective and a different idea of how people live within cities, how they move and how their communities come together,” Nurse said. “We’re there helping them, but then they’re

In Brief PUERTO RICO HURRICANE, continued from page 18

helping us to form our design process and give us the ideas of what hopefully can be best to pull from the community and incorporate into our designs going forward.

“It was really beneficial to get on the ground there and actually see it.”

The group also met with the University of Puerto Rico’s former dean of architecture, Francisco Rodriguez, to learn more about the university’s architectural history, and representatives from local non-profit organizations who provided insight into the efforts to improve social resilience.

Rachel Scudder, a community and regional planning and urban design graduate student at ISU, said having input from those living in communities impacted by the hurricanes and economic struggles played a critical role in putting together their designs.

“People know what they need. It’s very obvious that the communities know what they need, and designers just need to listen, to take in the information that people are screaming at them,” she said. “The biggest thing we learned was to really embrace and listen to the community and local community organizations.”

Back in Ames, the studio had worked throughout the summer term using information gathered from San Juan to develop competition proposals and full competition entries, including master plans, site plans and diagrams.

The proposals and entries are aimed “at strengthening existing connections in these neighborhoods and proposing new relationships between social, ecological and built environments,” according to the news release.

One team is proposing to transform the Martin Peña canal from a hidden place for waste to a valued ecosystem infrastructure. Another team is crisscrossing linear corridors to enhance community connectivity.

The students shared their work during an exhibition July 11-20 at the Design on Main Gallery in downtown Ames.

“The aim of the exhibition isn’t to really help Puerto recover now, it’s to help Puerto Rico recover next time. The student projects are all looking at ways we can strengthen what they have now so that, in the next round, these resources are available,” Shirtcliff said.

Back row, from left: Raymond Nurse, Luis Rico-Gutierrez, Rachel Scudder, Paloma Chapman and Slesha Dahake. Front row, from left: Himali LImbad, Yutong Wang, Victoria Goetz, Nahla Al Naamani and Ben Shirtcliff.

Contributed photo

Nahla Al Naamani, a fifth-year architecture student at ISU, prepares to repel down a cliff during her visit to Puerto Rico as part of the summer College of Design studio. Contributed photo FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 19

Savor

From left, La Bastide Saint Dominique, “Jules Rochebonne” 2016; Les Vignerons de Tavel, Les Lauzeraies 2018; Famille Duveau Saumur Champigny 2017; Les Vignerons de Tavel, Les Hauts d’Acantalys Lirac 2016; De Wetshof Estate Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2018/2019. MUST CREDIT: Photo for The Washington Post by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

At just $14, this savory and rich French red makes a mighty match for steak

By Dave McIntyre Special To The Washington Post

M

any importers contract with cooperative wineries to produce private label wines they can sell inexpensively back here in the United States. We may not realize which wines these are, unless we scrutinize the labels. But many of these bottles are terrific values and are worth seeking out.

In particular, I’m a fan of wines from the Les Vignerons de Tavel co-op in France’s Rhone Valley. This week’s recommendations include two of its makes, sold through two different importers, including our greatest value of the week, the Les Hauts d’Acantalys Lirac 2016.

--Les Vignerons de Tavel, Les Hauts d’Acantalys Lirac 2016 2 1/2 stars Rhone Valley, France, $14 Lirac is one of the villages in France’s Rhone Valley that has its own appellation in recognition of its quality. And Les

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Vignerons de Tavel is a cooperative winery that supplies excellent wines at good prices to several importers. The Hauts d’Acantalys is savory and rich, with flavors of dark fruit, violets and lavender. Enjoy this with steaks or roasts.

Alcohol by volume: 14.5 percent.

--Les Vignerons de Tavel, Les Lauzeraies 2018 2 1/2 stars Tavel, Rhone Valley, $16 Tavel rosés are typically deep pink in color, despite the current trend that favors paler wines. The Les Lauzeraies is true to type for Tavel - substantial mouthfeel and body, with juicy fruit and acidity to match heartier summer foods. ABV: 14 percent.

Savor --De Wetshof Estate Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2018/2019 2 1/2 stars Robertson, South Africa, $17 This De Wetshof chardonnay is one of the perennial best values in the market. It’s unwooded, so what you get is the pure essence of the grape. I tasted the 2018, which is still on the market, but the distributor recently began offering the 2019.

Try both if you can find them; the suppleness of the 2018 may give you a clue to how the fresh 2019 will evolve over the next year. ABV: 13.5 percent.

--La Bastide Saint Dominique, “Jules Rochebonne” 2016 2 1/2 stars Cotes-du-Rhone, France, $20 From a ripe vintage, this substantial blend of 80 percent syrah and 20 percent grenache mimics a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

It is deep in color, with baked fruit flavors and a hint of wild herbs. This is definitely not a wine for casual sipping; enjoy it with hearty meat dishes and company. Made with organic grapes. ABV: 14.5 percent.

--Famille Duveau Saumur Champigny 2017 2 1/2 stars Loire Valley, France, $21 France’s Loire Valley used to be known for inconsistent, thin and astringent red wines, but in recent years the region’s reds have been reliably ripe and delicious. Wines such as this cabernet franc stake out a style distinct from the pedigree of Bordeaux or the power of California. Look for smoky notes of black fruit and boxwood. I suggest decanting this for an hour before dinner to let those flavors unfurl. ABV: 13.5 percent.

--Three stars: Exceptional Two stars: Excellent One star: Very good --Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.

FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 21

Savor

Photo by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post

By Ellie Krieger Special to The Washington Post

Summer romance: Watermelon and goat cheese were meant for each other Here’s a delightful, nibble to pop in your mouth as you sip rosé by the pool or lounge at home with the air conditioner at full blast.

This refreshing finger food makes the most of watermelon’s affinity with soft, fresh goat cheese. The two not only look contrastingly beautiful together, the creamy, slightly salty chevre amplifies the fruit’s sweet juiciness.

The watermelon is cut into bite-size squares - an upgrade from a cracker delivery system - and topped with whipped goat cheese that is flecked with chopped fresh herbs and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The finishing touches of a honeylemon dressing, flaky sea salt and shower of chopped basil bridge the sweet-savory elements in each bite.

Served as a snack or appetizer, it’s a treat you can add to the list of summer’s many simple pleasures.

--WATERMELON WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE WHIP 4 to 6 servings (makes 24 pieces) These refreshing bites, drizzled with a lemon-honey dressing, are easy to assemble and can surely be counted as one of summer’s simple pleasures.

MAKE AHEAD: The cheese mixture, dressing and watermelon squares may be refrigerated in separate containers a day in advance.

Ingredients 4 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre) 2 tablespoons low-fat milk or whole milk 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

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1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest and 1 1/2 teaspoons juice (from 1/2 lemon) 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon honey, or more as needed 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Half a mini/personal-size seedless watermelon Steps Whisk or whip together the goat cheese and milk in a medium bowl until the mixture is creamy. Stir in the basil, mint, lemon zest and black pepper; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Use a fork to whisk the oil, lemon juice, honey and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt in a liquid measuring cup. Taste, and add more honey, as needed.

Cut away the rind from the watermelon, then cut the melon into 1-inch squares about 1/2 inch thick, until you have 24 squares of melon. (Reserve the rind and any leftover melon for another use.)

Arrange the melon squares on a platter. Dollop about 1 teaspoon of the whipped cheese on top of each piece of melon. Drizzle the dressing on top, and around the platter, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt, garnish with additional chopped basil and serve right away.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 90 calories, 4 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar (From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger.)

Savor

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times/Prop styling by Joni Noe/TNS)

The best Key lime pie recipe? It’s from Nicole Rucker of Fiona bakery LOS ANGELES — Key lime pie is typically a collection of convenience foods: canned condensed milk, bottled lime juice, premade graham cracker crust. That’s why chef Nicole Rucker didn’t intend to serve it at Fiona, her Fairfax bakery and restaurant.

She originally created her take on Key lime pie for Bludso’s Bar & Que three years ago, which “felt appropriate” for the casual barbecue joint. But when she opened Fiona last year, she decided to focus on fruit pies made with fromscratch crusts; the Key lime pie was left off the menu.

And then Thanksgiving hit. Fiona sold out of pies and vendors were no longer delivering ingredients. Rucker remembered her Key lime pie and told her team, “Go get the graham crackers.”

Rucker turned to that pie because it is fast, easy and doesn’t require fresh ingredients, aside from limes. It quickly became the restaurant’s signature item. “This pie is irony at its finest,” Rucker said. “I thought this pie was so cheap and tacky, but sometimes you don’t know what’s best for yourself.”

Rucker had never tasted a Key lime pie before she created her own, but she nailed it. The crust — made with storebought graham crackers — hits the perfect balance of salty, buttery and sweet. The floral and tart notes of limes lace the sweet filling, which is balanced by sour cream in the unsweetened whipped cream topping.

—— NICOLE RUCKER’S KEY LIME PIE 30 minutes, plus cooling and chilling. Makes one 9-inch pie.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use preground crumbs or finely grind about 10 whole graham crackers) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 6 medium limes 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 4 large egg yolks 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

By Genevieve Ko 1/4 cup sour cream 1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie Los Angeles Times TNS plate (not deep-dish) with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter in a large bowl and stir until moist crumbs form. Transfer to the prepared pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate (but not over the rim).

3. Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Leave the oven on.

4. Make the filling: Finely grate one tablespoon zest from the limes into a large bowl, then halve the limes and squeeze half a cup of juice. (You may not need all six limes.) Add the condensed milk and egg yolks and whisk until all the egg yolks have been incorporated and the zest is speckled throughout the mixture. Pour into the cooled crust.

5. Bake until the filling is set around the edges and the center wobbles slightly when touched, about 15 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least two hours.

6. In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream and sour cream with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or by hand, until soft peaks form; do not overbeat. Pile the cream on top of the pie and swirl and swoosh with a spoon or rubber spatula. Refrigerate the pie for at least three hours before serving.

VARIATION KEY LIME SLAB PIE Double all of the quantities above. Use a 9-by-13-inch cake pan or quarter-sheet pan instead of the pie plate and prepare and bake the crust and filling as above. To serve, cut into squares and top each with a large dollop of the cream mixture.

Make ahead: The pie can be refrigerated for up to five days.

Adapted from “Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers” by Nicole Rucker FACETS | AUGUST 2019 | 23