Twist and Shout

PUBLISHER

terry christensen tchristensen@messengernews.net

HR/ACCOUNTING

melissa wendland mwendland@messengernews.net

DESIGN COORDINATOR

nick manwarren nmanwarren@messengernews.net

SALES DIRECTOR

leanne darr ldarr@messengernews.net

jody kayser jkayser@messengernews.net

brittney benson bbenson@messengernews.net

EDITOR

bill shea bshea@messengernews.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

tom tourville

lori berglund

COPYRIGHT 2023

Twist & Shout is published monthly by ogden newspapers inc. All content and opinions expressed may not be those of the publishers.

*All photos submitted to Twist & Shout become property of Twist & Shout. We are not responsible for their return.

Syphilis is a sexually transmissible infection (STI) that may have no symptoms. It’s more common and easier to get than you might think. If left untreated, syphilis can cause serious, long-term health problems, including permanent damage to the eyes, brain, heart, and nervous system. Thankfully, syphilis is curable with the right antibiotics! If you’re sexually active, make sure that getting tested for STIs, including syphilis, is part of your regular health routine.

by lori berglund

Walking through the lush vineyard of Soldier Creek Winery, it’s not hard to pick up some ‘Good VineBrations,’ and that’s just what visitors can expect when the Seventh Annual Harvest Festival returns to the popular local winery on Saturday, Sept. 23.

With so much in store, from vineyard games, an outdoor market, live music, and tours of the grounds, the day is sure to pack in loads of fun for wine lovers and those who just love to have a good time. In a state full of corn and soybeans, Soldier Creek Winery is an oasis that harkens back to the days when vineyards were much more common in this prairie state.

“As we have in the past, we will have vineyard tours on the hayrack,” said Megan Secor, marketing coordinator for Soldier Creek Winery. “This is a great time to hear from us about the vineyard, ask us questions, or just admire the vineyard in its autumn glory.”

Hayrack tours are scheduled at; 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. Drinks are not allowed on the hayrack.

FULL DAY OF FUN

Festivities kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, with the ‘Winding Vine Market,’ featuring local crafts and vendors in an open-air format perfect for the start of the fall season. Be there early to grab one of 50 swag bags for the first 50 guests. The market will be open through 6 p.m.

“Shoppers can expect a unique shopping experience from local vendors and makers,” Secor said. “This is a great time to get some holiday shopping done and support small, local businesses.”

Megan Secor

This is a great time to get some holiday shopping done and support small, local businesses.

“

Soldier Creek Winery offers ‘Good Vine-Brations’ at Harvest Festival Local winery offers music and wine, fun for all

Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy a variety of live, local music, the outdoor beer garden and wine tent will also be open. A variety of food trucks are sure to suit any taste, and compliment all those liquid refreshments.

Grown-ups can be kids again with the Grape Relays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Teams of two will compete in a series of carnival-style games including ring toss, balloon popping, and the ever-popular, ‘Fill the Pitcher.’ With wine as prizes, these are grown-up games with grown-up prizes!

“Last year was our first year doing this competition and it was a big hit,” Secor said. “We are excited to bring it back again this year.”

RONLEY KING BLUES BAND WRAPS UP THE DAY

Live music will fill the grounds throughout the day, with Neil Anders from 2-4 and capping it all off will be a performance from the Ronley King Blues Band from 5 to 8 p.m.

“We are very excited that our headlining act is the Ronley King Blues Band” Secor said. “ You won’t want to miss the irresistible charm of the Ronley King Blues Band. Hailing as Central Iowa Blues Challenge victors of 2022 and esteemed Quarterfinalists at the International Blues Challenge 2023, their talent is undeniable. Seamlessly blending the raw essence of red dirt country with the soulful nostalgia of honky tonk blues, their music is a captivating journey through heartache and jubilation. With each note, they paint stories that linger, inviting you to dance to the rhythm of their local mastery and embrace the universal allure of the blues.”

NEW FACILITY OPENS FOR TOURS

New to the Harvest Festival this year will be scheduled tours of the wine production facility.

“We are currently in the process of completing this addition to our winery,” Secor explained. “So, all of the winemaking things you’re used to seeing in the tasting room will be moved into that new space. We have desperately needed this space for a few years, so we are very excited to get moved in.”

The improved space will create additional room for weekly music events, bingo, craft nights, private parties, as well as business and corporate events, according to Secor.

Tours of the new facilities are scheduled for; 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

For those familiar with Soldier Creek Winery, Harvest Festival has become a can’t miss celebration to kick off the relaxed feel of the fall season. For those who have yet to check it Soldier Creek Winery, Harvest Festival is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the growing popularity of Iowa wines and this local gem up close and person as it welcomes the community to explore and enjoy all it has to offer.

Iowa Central’s Fall Play continues to a New Space: BHS Auditorium

MAKIN’ IT

As many are aware, Iowa Central is in the midst of Amazing Transformation, and our Center for Performing Arts is on track to debut at the end of December! Our spring musical will most certainly be in our renovated theater, and we are beyond thankful for the amazing community and college support for this monumental project. Our entire Iowa Central team is incredibly excited about how that new space will improve our students’ experiences—as well as the enhancements for audience enjoyment.

In the meantime, however, we find ourselves utilizing the space that has proven itself a tremendous asset to our performances. I continue to love the intimacy that the smaller auditorium brings from our cast to our audience. So many patrons last year commented on how wonderful it was to see and hear so clearly, to oftentimes feel in the midst of the action. We also learned how to create “magic” in a space that was not designed for it—so who knows how we might utilize that in the future.

The other exciting advantage for our audiences is that parking remains a breeze! The BHS is located on the south side of the campus and can be accessed easily from the Kenyon Road entrance. Parking is directly across from the Bio Health Science building—in the Iowa Works parking lot. Parking is also easily accessible in the AST Parking Lots 3 and 4.

As I was reading plays this summer—with the returning and incoming talent in mind as always as well as the staging constraints of the BHS—I was thrilled to discover yet another piece which could not only feature a large, talented cast, but also offer amazing solo monologues, unique slow-motion and freezing scenes and reveal insights into surviving the “high school experience” It is my favorite genre—a Dramatic Comedy written by Cynthia Mercati, and one that also invites moments of song, dance and musical underscoring which has become my signature wheelhouse for more than a decade now.

My first reading of this script made me immediately place it in my “To Direct” pile. I am thrilled when a play is well-written, when it grabs me at the start and takes me to a terrific closure. I am an optimist and realist by nature, so I appreciate both the honesty of the characters’ struggles and the hope in the end.

Submitted by Teresa Jackson, Director of Theatre

Interestingly, I discovered in my research that the author is a playwright-in-residence at the Des Moines Playhouse Theatre. Her plays have won numerous awards and have been performed in all fifty states, so I’m excited to connect with her and invite her to our performances and rehearsals.

The time is set as “The Present,” but it was written in 1988. Ashley Garst, my Technical Theatre Coordinator, and I have decided it would be fun and play even better if we actually did set this in the late 80’s. Since I graduated in 1979, it will be fun for me to “be young again”—even if only momentarily onstage! Interestingly, my good friend, Stacy Hansen who is now the Director of the Iowa High School Speech Association was actually in Cynthia’s very first production of this show at the Playhouse. What a small, connected world.

Here is how the script is described in the catalog of Samuel French which produces the show:

Makin’ It is a play about the ordinary kids you see walking down any hallway in any school. Yet, for all their travails, the kids come to understand their own inner difficulties and how, truly, they are all the same, searching both to understand and accept themselves, as they strive to make it through four years of high school. At the heart of Makin’ It are a number of monologues in which the characters step out of the action to address their thoughts to the audience.

So—mark your calendars and reserve your seats soon for Iowa Central’s fall production of Makin’ It which will run October 19-21 at 7:00 p.m. and ending with a matinee on October 22 at 2:00 p.m. in the BHS Auditorium. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for students with Iowa Central faculty, staff and students attending for free. Tickets will be on sale at the Iowa Central bookstore or online: the link to the website is https://secure.iowacentral.edu/bookstore. The other option is to log on to www.iowacentral.edu/bookstore and click on tickets--on the top row menu bar in the middle. Tickets will be available at the door, but due to a more intimate setting—with fewer seats available each night—we highly encourage reserving seats ahead of time so that we can accommodate all patrons who want to attend.

cruise to the woods

returns for its 40th show Classic cars converge on Lizard Creek in October

by lori berglund

A ’57 Chevy was practically still in its prime when the Cruise to the Woods made its debut 40 years ago this fall. It all started as just a small band of friends from Webster City who thought it would be fun to get in their classic cars, cruise the Iowa countryside in the autumn, and spend a leisurely afternoon at Briggs Woods Park.

About 75 cars and drivers turned out for that first cruise in 1984. Some 1,400-plus vintage vehicles are expected to turn out for the 40th annual Cruise to the Woods hosted by the WC Cruisers Car Club, this year at the Lizard Creek Ranch and Event Center, 1762 Johnson Ave., just north of Fort Dodge on Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1.

No doubt, plenty of gleaming ’57 Chevys will again be on hand for the show. They may have a few more miles on them, but they still shine like new. As for the drivers, they’ve got a few more miles under the hood as well, but they still know how to have a good time.

Mike and Barb Briggs, founding members of the WC Cruisers, were there for the very first cruise and haven’t missed one yet. “It was cold and rainy,” Barb Briggs recalled. “We sent the kids out to find wood to burn in the fire pit to keep us warm.”

That first cruise started at Humboldt, travelled south through Dolliver State Park, and then east to Briggs Woods Park in Hamilton County.

“The second year we added the route from Ankeny and we had about 150 cars,” Briggs said. “The next year we doubled that, and we started adding more routes. After we got to about 600 cars there just wasn’t room at Briggs Woods anymore.”

Other show sites over the years have included the Dayton Golf and Country Club, Kennedy Park, Sunkissed Meadows, the Webster County Fairgrounds, Harlan Rogers Park, and even one year when the show had to be moved to the Crossroads Mall parking lot due to rain at the show site

This year there will be 10 routes beginning from various point in Iowa and Minnesota. They will each converge upon the small town of Stratford to form one tremendous parade of vintage cars that will then proceed north through Dolliver Park and out to Lizard Creek.

While the final destination has moved several times over the years, Stratford as a convergence point and Dolliver Park as a drive-through have remained constant favorites, according to Briggs.

“Stratford and Dolliver are really important parts of the show,” said Briggs. “About half the cars go on the cruise.” The other half choose their own independent routes to reach the show site. “We will have cars coming in to Lizard Creek starting at 8:00 a.m. Sunday, and it’s just cars coming in constantly after that,” she explained.

As always, spectators are encouraged to come out and look over the cars, do a little dreaming. There is a per car fee to get into the grounds for spectators, so Briggs encourages

everyone to load up the car and have a great time together. While the cruise and the show may be the big events, there’s much more to do throughout the weekend, Briggs noted.

ROCK AND ROLL LIVES AT SATURDAY DANCE

Des Moines-based rock and roll band Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will perform at Lizard Creek Event Center on Saturday, Sept. 30, with doors opening at 6 p.m. The public is invited to come out and dance the night away to this classic sound.

Looking a bit like The Blues Brothers, and staying true to music as it was from 1950 through 1969, this band will be sure to have the rafters rocking. They bring music from this era to life again, respecting its roots and inspiring new generations to move to this classic beat of rhythm and guitar.

“We really want a lot of people to come out and enjoy the band, and have a great time,” Briggs said. Tickets are $10 and available at the door at Lizard Creek on Saturday, Sept. 30.

GARAGE TOUR AND MORE FUN

All day Saturday is billed at Fun Day for the cruise. In addition to the evening dance, during the day there will be a garage tour, scavenger hunt by car, poker run, and games.

On Sunday, a craft show will return for the first time in a few years to the main show at Lizard Creek. Area crafters and vendors will have seasonal displays and offer a chance to do a little fun shopping while taking a break from looking at all the classic cars.

Messenger photo by Britt Kudla

Randy Brodersen, of Sprit Lake, waxes his 1928 Ford Aswind Street Rod during the annual Cruise to the Woods on Sunday at Lizard Creek Ranch.

a look back

By Tom Tourville

When they turned on the Love Light at the at the Star Ballroom

THE HIGH SPIRITS STORY

by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Kinks, Van Morrison and Them.

It was time for a band name. They came up with the Illusions. Soon they were to change from that name to the High Spirits that was suggested to them by Rick Levinson’s mother. In addi tion, they bought most of their band gear at the famed B-Sharp Music in Minneapolis. B-Sharp helped them buy their new band van in exchange for painting B Sharp Music all over the new van along with the band’s name, the High Spirits.

A big date for the new group was May 7, 1965 when they decided to go into Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis to record their first record for the famed Soma Records label. Remembering most of the English groups were covering blues and R&B hits, they did the same with their release of Bobby Blue Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light” backed with Bobby Lewis’s “Tossin’ & Turnin” (Soma #1436). By the Summer of 1965 there was not a hotter record in Minnesota or for that matter, a hotter band in the Upper Midwest.

in Dakota City, IA in September of 1967. This was really a big booking for the Star.

Soon band members would start to leave to join the military or head to college. New talented musicians would now join a powerhouse band like the High Spirits. Some of those new musicians included: Frank Prout-bass from Gregory Dee & The Avanties, Dave Rivkin-guitar from the Chancellors and Brad Berguson-drums-from the Rave-Ons. As the years moved on,

When I was a kid, I so enjoyed listening to those Minneapolis, MN radio stations, WDGY & KDWB, that were programed just for a kid like me.

I loved the music charts with many of the Minneapolis bands on the charts and we could see when their records were coming out and they were the same records we were able to buy at the local Woolworths. These same bands played our local ballrooms and we could see them in person and talk with the band members after the show. One such band that I could not wait to see live, as I had bought both of their ‘45s on Soma Records, that band, the High Spirits.

The group got its start in 1963 with all band members coming from the suburbs of Minneapolis. They included: John “Jay” Luttio-keyboards, drummer Doug Ahrens and guitarist Owen Hunsey. Also joining was the talented singer, Cliff (“Little Clifford Stone”) Siegel, and guitarist Rick Levinson, both from St Louis Park, MN. Last was bassist, Rick Beresford. They now had the line-up that they could record with and stir up some Midwest music fame.

Stone went shopping at Powers Department Store in downtown Minneapolis and ended up in the record dept. He saw the newest LPs from England’s Rolling Stones. After hearing these records, the group was now going to cover the Stones and other English artists. The new song list contained material

“Love Light” went to #1 in Minneapolis and got significant airplay in Kansas City, MO, Dallas, TX, San Jose, CA and Denver, CO and it would get great airplay in Fort Dodge. While this record was great garage, it was nothing compared to their second release for Soma Records. In January of 1966, the band re-entered Kay Bank Studios and released the great garage two sider with Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights, Big City” backed by “I Believe” (Soma #1446) written by the band’s Rick Levinson. While this release did not sell as well as “Turn On Your Love Light,” it is a true garage classic. One of my favorites.

During this time that band was booked by the highly successful Central Booking Alliance Agency. The band would buy all their stage clothes at Minneapolis’s Arcade Men’s Store, where over 90% of the clothes they carried were direct from London, England.

While they played the most popular of Minneapolis venues, they also traveled to out state Minnesota, Iowa, and the Eastern Dakotas ballrooms. One such visit was to our Star Ballroom

the band was about to come to an end. They finally called it a career in July of 1968 after they played the Tower Teen Club in Austin, MN.

Under his new name, David Z. (Rivkin) would go on to produce Prince. Owen Hunsey would go on to manage Prince and worked with such record labels as: Capitol, A&M and Sony Records. He was behind the music for the movies “Pretty in Pink” and “Breakfast Club” and wrote the bestselling book, “Famous People Who’ve Met Me.”

As you see, the High Spirits played an important role in the creation of the Midwest music scene and sound. Hopefully you were one of the lucky ones in September of 1967 to have helped the High Spirits turn on their love light at the Star Ballroom.

The unpublished photo that I am using with this story was shot live in Fairmont, MN from 1967 when I booked the High Spirits for a high school dance.

Until Next Month Take Care & Remember The Music

40th Anniversary

Lizard Creek Ranch, 1762 Johnson Ave., Ft Dodge

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023

Scavenger Hunt/Poker Run/Garage Tour Starts between noon and 2pm (free for show participants)

50’s/60’s DANCE – open to the public Band:

“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” Doors open at 6pm, Dance starts at 7pm $10/person

Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023

Huge Car Show (with over 1,400 cars in 2022) Craft Show, Food Vendors, Silent Auction, Event Shirts Participants Registration $15/car pre-entry, $20 after Sept. 20th Spectator’s pile in the car: Parking $10/car load

We can stop HIV, Iowa.

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When a person’s viral load is undetectable , it protects their overall health. It also prevents HIV from passing to sexual partners!

Undetectable = Untransmittable = Learn

Pulse THE S & H O U T ! LOCAL EVENTS CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 7

RVTV - Humboldt

4:00 PM

Humboldt

SEPTEMBER 7

Liv McNair LIVE @ Shiny Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing

520 Central Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 8

Salty View LIVE at Soldier Creek Winery

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 10

Gaylin Sudik & Friends LIVE at Soldier Creek Winery

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 12 CEM Connect

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Northfield Church of Christ

2933 N 15th Street • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 1

2023 Ag Park Open

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Fort Dodge Country Club

370 Country Club Drive • Fort Dodge, IA

LIVE Music at Soldier Creek Winery

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 3

Bingo at Soldier Creek Winery

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 6

RVTV - Manson 4:00 PM

Main Street, Manson

Fort Dodge Area Quilters Guild presents Artist & Quilter; Sue Penn

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Trinity United Methodist Church 838 N. 25th Street • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 14

Jason Helder LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing

520 Central Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 15

Renegade Soul LIVE at Soldier Creek Winery

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 16

133rd Test Squadron 75th Anniversary

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

1649 Nelson Ave • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 16

Downtown Country Jam

Josh Turner with special guests Renegade Soul and Jesse Wilson & Friends Downtown Fort Dodge

SEPTEMBER 17

BINGO at Soldier Creek Winery

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 21

Severio Mancieri LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing

520 Central Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 21

Browns 3rd Thursday Fit Nite

Browns Shoe Store

Updates and cancellations on fitnight.com

SEPTEMBER 22

David Simmons Band LIVE at Soldier Creek Winery

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

Jake McVey LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing

520 Central Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

515 Big Band Concert

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Historic Phillips Auditorium

1015 5th Ave N • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 23

7th Annual Good ‘Vine’brations Harvest Festival

1:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 24

Brad & Kate LIVE at Soldier Creek Winery

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEP

SEPTEMBER 28

Jared Benson LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing 520 Central Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 29

Kris Karr LIVE at Soldier Creek Winery

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

1584 Paragon Avenue • Fort Dodge, IA

SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 1

Crusie to the Woods

40th Anniversary

Saturday, Sept 30

50’s/60’s Dance featuring “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”

Doors open at 6:00 PM

Dance - 7:00 PM

Sunday, Oct 1st

Huge Car Show

Lizard Creek Ranch

1762 Johnson Ave • Fort Dodge, IA

Jeanie Culver, of Spencer, brought her 2011 Shelby GT 500 SVT to the Cruise to the Woods on Sunday at Lizard Creek Ranch.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Justin Van Grootheest, of Sioux Central, brought his 1966 Chevy pick-up truck to the annual Cruise to the Woods on Sunday at Lizard Creek Ranch.

Good Eats &Drinks

FAST-FOOD:

artistspot

Megan Secor

Tell us about some of the “artsy” organizations that you are involved with.

I serve on the board for the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association and the Catherine Vincent Deardorf Charitable Foundation, I love being in a position to support the arts in Fort Dodge! I’m also involved in a needle arts group full of lovely women who get together once a week to embroider, knit, or crochet together.

What is the mission and goal of the Catherine Vincent Deardorf Charitable Foundation?

The mission of the Catherine Vincent Deardorf Charitable Foundation is to support and promote art, libraries, nature, and heritage through collaboration within Webster County, Iowa. Our goal is to keep the arts and culture in Webster County thriving! There are some notable public art projects that have been supported by the Catherine Vincent Deardorf Charitable Foundation: “Over the Treetops” mosaic at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, “DNA Strand” hand-blown glass sculpture at Iowa Central Community College, and “Parade” aluminum sculpture at the intersection of 5th Avenue South and 8th Street South… just to name a few. The Catherine Vincent Deardorf Charitable Foundation has given over $10,000,000 to the arts, libraries, nature, and heritage to date.

What areas of art and culture in Fort Dodge do you most enjoy?

I couldn’t possibly pick one that I enjoy most! I enjoy hearing my family play in the Fort Dodge Area Symphony, I enjoy seeing the public art pieces around our community, I love seeing Stage Door and Comedia shows, and I am so happy at the thriving live music culture in Fort Dodge.

From your perspective, how has the art and culture scene in Fort Dodge varied over the years?

Growing up, what artistic activities did you participate in?

During middle school and high school I played clarinet for our school’s band and marching band, it was a lot of fun and I liked the challenge of learning new music. I was always pretty crafty, my grandma taught me how to embroider and knit when I was in elementary school and that carried over into my adult life. In middle school and high school I was an avid participant in theatrical plays and competitive speech.

Did you grow up in an art loving household? If so, how?

Our household was full of creatives, my dad whittled when I was young and was always building something. My mom loved to cook and sew—she used to make whole outfits with matching accessories for my brother and I. My brother and I were always creating things from any sort of building material: legos, Lincoln logs, sand, you name it!

In the 13 years that I’ve been in Fort Dodge, I’ve seen the public art and live music scene become such a force in our community. The murals, public art, and extensive trails system have really boosted the quality of life in our community—not to mention the countless live music events taking place all over town! It’s been amazing to witness the change.

In what ways are your kids involved in the arts?

My daughter is learning to play the violin through the Gillette & Chen Music Academy, and my son will join her next year. They both take dance classes through United All Stars. My daughter will be trying out for next year’s Stage Door production as well!

Hometown: Fort Dodge, Profession: Marketing Coordinator and part-owner at Soldier Creek Winery

In your opinion, why is a diverse arts and culture scene important in our community?

It’s so important for communities to have a thriving arts and culture scene, not only from a quality-of-life perspective, but it’s also such an important part of the fabric of our society. Historically, the arts and culture of a society has been used to tell our story. Art can provide an outlet for our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and traditions—this is how we can convey our world to the future generations.

shiningstar

Artistic Interests:

My artistic interests include drawing digitally or simply doodling in a sketchbook, but recently I’ve realized that I also like using watercolors. I have dabbled in other mediums such as charcoal, markers, and scrapbooking. Things I tend to draw are character designs along as once and a while drawing animals. I like practicing expressions, weather that be facially, bodily, or even more abstractly. Playing with composition, as well as colors, also pique my interest.

How long have you been interested in art?

I have always been interested in art. I suppose I started taking it more seriously in 5th grade when I started drawing in my first sketchbook.

What do you most enjoy about creating art?

I like it as a creative and emotional outlet. I think I would find it very hard to express myself if I didn’t draw. It is also very cool making a thought or image in your head physical, and it’s cool putting out unique ideas into the world with art.

Do you come from an artistic family?

I’d say so, my two sisters also enjoy art in different ways but my brother is more like my mom where they enjoy STEM activities such as robotics and math.

What is the most difficult, or challenging, part for you when creating a new piece?

Posing and drawing at extreme angles is very challenging for me, so when I get too ambitious and want to draw at an angle that I can’t get right or don’t have a reference for, I get kind of frustrated. In general I find it hard to realize that the product will not turn out the way it started in my head, which is a shame.

What is the most rewarding part of the artistic process?

The problem-solving process that goes with making art is at times nagging but in the long run it helps you develop creative ways to go about things and teaches you to not only think outside of the box, but at different angles within it. I also do quite enjoy the end where you can sit and take in the final product along with anyone you end up sharing your art with.

Do you plan to use your artistic skills after high school? If so, in what ways?

As of now I have no solid plan for after high school, but I do want to pursue something in the arts or at the very least something creative. Art teacher has crossed my mind several times, but for now the plan is to go to college, take some art classes, and see what happens I suppose.

Who inspires you and why?

It would be a crime not to say my art teacher Mrs. Miller-Clay! She really opened my eyes to being positive by not being too critical of myself and my art while also helping me improve my skills. Great amount of thanks, I can’t wait to take more of your classes!

What other activities are you involved with?

I am historian of the Performer’s Club, vice president in my 4-H club, I somewhat help run the art club in my school, I’m involved in scouting, and I recently became a DM for the DND club this year.

moviespot

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

‘STRAYS’ IS FURRY, FOUL, FILTHY, FECULENT — AND OCCASIONALLY FUNNY

somewhere and tosses a tennis ball, then drives away, hoping he won’t return. But he always does.

But one day Doug takes Reggie far, far away and the poor pooch can’t find his way back. In this gritty urban setting, he meets the strays — led by Bug (Foxx). Not exactly strays, but taking some time in the streets for various reasons, are sexy Australian Shepherd Maggie (Isla Fisher), and Hunter (Randall Park), a Great Dane with anxiety issues.

The group welcomes Reggie, who wants nothing more than to get home, and introduces him to the adventurous life of a stray. Rule number one: If you want to own something, pee on it. The other rules are too risqué to describe here.

Reggie’s new friends soon make him understand that his owner actually abandoned him. It’s a tough moment. “Maybe I should talk to him, since I’m a therapy dog,” says Hunter. Suddenly, though, this makeshift family is on a mission. Reggie, newly aware of Doug’s mendacity, is determined to get back home and, well, bite off Doug’s favorite body part. This is an experience the rest of the pack refuses to miss. Us, we could maybe pass.

beloved pooch is thinking? Of course you do. If they could only tell us what’s on their minds, right?

Well, in “Strays,” an aggressively raunchy, gleefully gross and only occasionally truly funny comedy voiced by Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, we find out. Turns out our canine friends are endlessly curious about why we collect their poop in little plastic bags. It must be for something really important, they surmise. But what? And why do we keep needing more?

It’s actually one of the film’s cleverer jokes, and Foxx’s Boston terrier, Bug, has an opinion on the matter — but we won’t elaborate because it’s kinda gross. There’s a lot of gross, both kinda and mega, over this film’s 93-minute running time. Also a lot of poop jokes, and penis jokes, both canine and human. You get the picture. Although some of these pictures may stay in your mind for way longer than you’d like.

STRAYS

out of 4 stars

Perrault, begins with its star, Reggie, a border terrier with a furiously upbeat attitude, declaring that “today is the best day ever — because every day is the best day ever!” Hmmm, where else have we heard virtually that same line …. Oh yes, in “Barbie”! The resemblance pretty much stops there.

Reggie, voiced by Ferrell with relentless puppy-like innocence, loves his owner, Doug. But Doug doesn’t love him back. Let’s stop here to note that in this film, real dogs play the four leading canines — kudos to their hardworking trainers — and humans appear in supporting roles, including one celebrity cameo and also Will Forte as the most odious dog owner you’ve ever met.

Forte’s Doug is particularly vile to Reggie, because it’s Reggie who dug up (literally) incriminating evidence that Doug was twotiming his girlfriend, leading to her exit. Doug held onto her dog solely out of spite. He never plays with Reggie or takes him outside, except to play a profanely titled “game” in which Doug drives him

Anyway, the journey will include, among other things: Reggie and Bug getting dragged into the sky by a giant (computer-animated) eagle; the pack eating a forest worth of psychedelic mushrooms and mauling bunnies while high; and everyone falling prey to a dogcatcher. At the pound, it is Reggie who inspires the captive dogs to break free with the memorable slogan: “Let’s all poop to freedom!”

What ensues is one of the grosser scenes you’ll have witnessed in a while, but that’s child’s play compared to the harrowing (and somewhat tonally imbalanced) finale, a painful scene involving four dogs, one human, one baseball bat and one Miley Cyrus song (“Wrecking Ball”) which you may now want to skip for a while.

The moral of the story, if you’re a dog: Family is everything, but sometimes you find it where you least expect. Love your owner but not unconditionally, because he could be a terrible human.

Also: stay away from psychedelic mushrooms. And those plastic poop bags? Still a mystery.

Universal Studios release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association “for pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and drug use.”

Running time: 93 minutes