Twist and Shout • March 2023

HR/ACCOUNTING

DESIGN

nick manwarren nmanwarren@messengernews.net

SALES

jody kayser jkayser@messengernews.net

brittney benson bbenson@messengernews.net

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?

Sure, I grew up in a small town (even smaller than Fort Dodge) in upstate New York, the youngest of ten children with many dogs, cats, birds, raccoons, squirrels and even a deer to fill my childhood with awe and laughter. After receiving my criminal justice degree, I joined the United States Air Force as a Law Enforcement troupe and was stationed in northern California where I sustained an injury in the line of duty and became a disabled Veteran at 23 years old. I strongly believe in national and community service and come from a strong military tradition. My father served in the Navy during World War II and my sister served in the Army as a high-ranking officer and was deployed to Afghanistan at the age of 63 where she earned a Bronze Star. After the military, I completed three terms of service as a volunteer with AmeriCorps National Service (the domestic version of the PEACE Corps). While in California, I achieved my BS in Human Services and my MS in Nonprofit Administration. The first in my family to achieve a college degree of any kind. I have 28 years of nonprofit experience and in 2010, I founded a nonprofit consulting business that specializes in providing small-medium sized nonprofits with the crucial resource development skills that are essential to long-term sustainability. It is here where I earned my reputation as a “turn-around specialist.” Almost Home will be the tenth nonprofit organization that I have brought from the brink of bankruptcy to the point of long-term sustainability. In 2019, I decided that I needed a break, packed my hummer and my dog (former pound puppy Pomeranian named Kringle) and set out to hike the United States of America (my first love). Since that time, we have hiked and traveled through 16 states and 6,000 miles together. Kringle helped me to understand my true calling to save animals. Since we started this journey in 2010, I have served cat and mini horse sanctuaries, a therapeutic riding organization, one larger metropolitan animal shelter and many smaller ones and many other animal causes. It is my calling, what I love and what I will do as long as I am able.

Almost Home Celebrating 40 years of service and a brave new direction

WHY IOWA? WHY ALMOST HOME? WHY NOW:

Hmm, why Iowa? We had never lived in the Midwest before and wanted our grand adventure to continue. The situation at Almost Home spoke to me and the community touched my heart. The conditions at Almost Home would’ve made most candidates run screaming into the night but I see it as a challenge, and I love challenges. Plus, it was in my wheelhouse. I have helped nonprofits with greater challenges thrive so, why not Almost Home? Now is a crucial point in Almost Home’s lifespan where it stands upon the precipice of closing its doors after 40 years of ultraistic service to the community or to accept its destiny as the truly amazing organization with unlimited potential that it can become. A model for others to aspire to. It spoke to me and now I speak for it!

STATE OF AFFAIRS:

I will be the first to admit that Almost Home was about as broken as it could be when I arrived on its doorstep a short five months ago. After forty years of service, we have 90-days left of operational funds left in the bank and are facing the darkest financial days in our history.

What is not broken however is the amazing staff, volunteers, and supporters of Almost Home. Together we have worked tirelessly to “turn this ship around” and have built a solid foundation for growth and greatness. Have we made our share of mistakes? Have we suffered from mismanagement, a lack of management and a lack of direction? Have we been functioning without a comprehensive model of board governance and a sustainable resource development strategy in place? Have we been guilty of burning some community bridges while allowing others to collapse for lack of maintenance? Has our customer service and donor acknowledgement been horrific at times? The answers to all these questions are absolutely, yes. However, the most important question of all is, “Are we an essential community

institution that benefits the homeless and unwanted animals in our community, one that has a significant amount of community support and has endless potential for good?” Again, the answer is yes. If you take nothing else away from this article, please understand that the Almost Home of the past is gone, and our future is filled with endless possibilities.

COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS:

How would you respond to the recent negative narratives that have appeared across the community regarding Almost Home? Let me start by saying that I have been doing this a long time and that these things are not uncommon. There will always be those who don’t agree with how you conduct business or at times understand why decisions are made or why certain policies need to be in place and followed to the letter. These people will feel empowered to speak their minds and express their opinions and I respect that, in fact, myself and my nine million brothers and sisters in arms have proudly served and sacrificed to protect their rights to do so. Has it effected our standing in the community? Absolutely. Almost Home is completely supported through public donations. We have no government support and at present, no diversification of funds. As a result of these narratives, our supporters have faced very difficult choices of who, what and when to put their efforts behind. Which is also okay. I believe that who you support is a very sacred personal decision and I trust our community to use their critical thinking skills to effectively interpret the messages being put before them and to make their choices accordingly. What I cannot take is the effect that these messages have on our staff, our volunteers, and our community. I don’t have one staff member who does not work two or three jobs, just to survive. They are certainly not at Almost Home for the money. They are here because they care, plain and simple. The same is also true about our volunteers at every level and our community. When these messages are irresponsibly put out there, it devalues them, their efforts and everything that they stand for and this is something that I cannot abide.

LEADERSHIP AND VISION:

When I arrived in Fort Dodge and began conducting community outreach, one message was loud and clear from every sector, “We love the animal shelter, have supported it in the past and will do so in the future, but it is time for a change in leadership and philosophy”. When I say I heard it everywhere, I mean everywhere, from the CEO of major anchor companies to the Barista at the local coffee shop. The community spoke to us in one voice, and we listened. I am proud to say that we now have an almost completely new board of directors in place at Almost Home who openly embrace a commitment to broad governance. We have also experienced a significant leadership change at all operational levels. We have set aside traditional hierarchal management practices and have instead embraced a team management approach where communication, empowerment, dignity, and respect are the key factors driving decisions and those closest to the conditions on the ground make the calls to best serve the public and the animals. We have also added professional management to oversee and expand our volunteer program. We are committed to Positive, Professional and Productive leadership.

PLANS AND PROGRESS:

Normally when I arrive in a new community and assume a new Executive Director role, I spend the first 90 days conducting a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the organization. This was not the case here at Almost Home. As I have said, these are the darkest financial days in our history. So instead of conducting the assessment, I have been focused, quite literally, keeping the doors open and the lights on. This is not where any nonprofit should be. When you are trapped in a survival mode it is impossible to thrive, to focus on anything except what is in front of your face or to serve effectively, those who depend on you the most.

We are now in a good place organizationally but not financially, this takes time, ongoing support and new relationships, programs, and philosophies. We are working toward these things but are not there yet.

We have made more progress in the last five months then in the last five years and we continue to push forward in a positive progressive manner in spite of ongoing challenges and obstacles that have been placed in our path because we believe in the animals, we believe in Almost Home, and we believe in the future.

We have diversified our support to include some grants and collaborative relationships and will continue to do so with the intent of bringing outside resources into our community as opposed to draining the limited resources that exist here.

We have added a “for profit” entity to our corporation entitled “Big Dawg Enterprises” Some of you may have heard of Big Dawg Bingo? This was our first step into creating diversified enterprises to bring in financial resources to sustain and strengthen Almost Home. The next endeavor with the be the expansion of our recycling program. Big Dawg Recycling will launch on March 1, 2024, and will include cans, clothing, textiles, and shoes. There will also be a mobile component to pickups, so please stay tuned. In the future, we hope to add a low to no-cost veterinarian community clinic, a cat café, a fido bar, a grooming salon, a thrift and gift store and recycling center, a pet food warehouse, a pet walking and sitting service, an indoor dog park, and much more.

On the nonprofit side, we will expand our humane education efforts, provide free and low-cost services to the community, expand, and strengthen our foster care programs and work in tandem with our elected officials to create and sustain a permanent, no-kill pound that serves Fort Dodge and surrounding areas. We are also committed to creating and sustaining a “Sister Shelters Network” that will work together on a regional and collaborative basis to bring in resources large enough to make sustainable and long-term change possible for animal welfare efforts in the state of Iowa. We will also work at the public policy level as necessary to ensure the changes needed.

However, before we can thrive, we must survive so our two current highest priorities are 1.) Keeping the doors open and the lights on and, 2.) Replacing the dog kennels from the ground up to ensure the safety of staff and volunteers and

HOPE YOU CAN HELP

Share your time, talents, and treasures with us. The average cost to keep Almost Home open is around $40,000 a month, even with strict cost controls. If you would like to help with the following you can donate to: Contact director@ almosthomeiowa.org

1. Visit almosthomeiowa.org and scroll through the How You Can Help drop down menu. There are options to make a reoccurring gift, become a corporate sponsor, donate your vehicle, etc.

2. Visit almosthomeiowa.org and sponsor the Fur Ball, donate an item to be sold at the auction and buy tickets.

3. Remember us in your estate planning and/or list us as a beneficiary for your life insurance.

4. Make a major gift.

5. Help replace the dog kennels, we need a dedicated Mason and money for equipment.. cost undetermined.

6. Replace the aging boiler to ensure the dogs have heat $12,000.

7. Sponsor the Vet clinic with the equipment needed to transform it into a surgical suite $25,000.

8. Donate or purchase a commercial lawn mower to maintain the property…Cost undetermined.

9. Donate a sea container for outside storage.

10. Donate enrichment equipment for the dog parks.

11. Do a community fundraiser for us as an individual or a group.

12. Volunteer as an individual as a group.

13. Donate your talents to us: Currently we need a mason, a plumber and an electrician.

14. Serve on the Cat Café committee and/or donate an appropriate building, storefront or other location to host

Comedian Clay Foley and Paul Shane at the benefit Comedy To The Rescue earlier this month

FUR BALL 13th annual presented by Almost Home Animal Shelter

Almost Home Animal Shelter is getting ready for an unforgettable night of fun, food and fundraising to help all the pets at the shelter during the 13th annual Fur Ball.

The night will consist of a live and silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, pet trivia, and more. Amigos will also be at the Fur Ball again providing delicious food for all the guests. There will also be a cash bar.

Guests will also have a chance to meet up to five dogs from the shelter who are up for adoption. They will be able to interact and pet the dogs if they like.

This is Paul Shane’s, Executive Director of Almost Home, first Fur Ball as he had just started working at the Shelter in September. “I am really looking forward to seeing everyone come out and help support Almost Home. It costs approximately $40,000/month to keep the shelter running and each year we raise around $33,000 so we appreciate all the sponsors and volunteers for the Fur Ball that help make this happen each year.”

All the money raised at the Fur Ball goes towards everyday expenses for the shelter which includes food, vet bills, medications, vaccinations, repairs to the kennels, electricity, water, etc.

“Again this year we will also have an officer from the Fort Dodge Police Dept presenting a Canine Demonstration,” said Shane. “At this time we are unsure what time he will be able to stop by as he will be on duty.”

The 13th Annual Fur Ball will be held on Saturday, April 13th. Doors open at 6pm with the fun lasting until 10pm in the showroom at Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota, 2723 Fifth Ave S.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Guests under the age of 18 can purchase tickets for $10. They will also have the special of buying four tickets and get one free.

Tickets are available at Almost Home Animal Shelter, 725 S 32nd St, or online at almosthomeiowa.org.

For more information about the Fur Ball, please call Almost Home at 515-9558343.

IOWA CENTRAL’S NEW CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS & DECKER AUDITORIUM OPENS WITH DISNEY’S ICONIC BEAUTY & THE BEAST!

Written by Teresa Jackson, Director of Theatre, Iowa Central

A new space. A new time. A timeless classic. Our Performing Arts team at Iowa Central is filled with gratitude for the opportunity to turn on the spotlights for our students once again in a space which has been newly renovated and upgraded not only for them, but our community members as well. The foyer will feature a larger, beautiful gathering space, restrooms (no longer having to share space with the Hanson Center and gymnasium), and an elevator for the balcony seats. That upper level also has restrooms. Our seats are new; our aisles are improved; our sound and lights have been transformed. We will even have televisions and speakers in the lobby area so that members who have to step out for any reason can keep track of what is continuing to happen onstage. In short, the new space rocks!!

It was an endeavor worth waiting for. Our musical, which usually falls in late February, is now scheduled to open April 24 with a matinee for area schools followed by our grand Opening Night on April 25. The evening shows will run Thursday through Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and conclude with a 2:00 p.m. afternoon matinee on Sunday, April 28. We are looking to upgrade the ticketing experience, so watch for details regarding that coming out soon.

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). As always, we have a stellar cast, and our entire cast, crew and pit will involve upwards of 75 people.

Principals:

Village:

Belle: Elle Clark

Gaston: Dennis Morgan

Lefou: Joshua Madden

Les Filles: Lesley Chavez

Annaka Holthaus

Maurice: Ben Meyer

Mya McClain

Grace Minor

Castle:

Babette: Reese Pederson

The Beast: Ryan Madden

Mrs. Potts: Gabby Schumacher

Cogsworth: Camden Karageorge

Chip: Rhonda Auradou

Lumiere: Justin Durr

Madame De La Grande Bouche: Anyston Henning

Singing Women’s Ensemble

Dani Abens

Sophia Beenken

Melanie Cox

Sara Diew

Anna Fisher

Aliyah Henry

Chloe Jessen

Nikita Kirsch

Maddy Vinchattle

Dancing Women’s Ensemble

Rianna Vivens

Addi Johnson

Abby Meyer

Kaylan Reames

Ella Sells

Ensembles:

Women’s Ensemble

Ava Corpman

Emma Englin

Piper Graham

Laura Heisterkamp

Sabrina Horton

Cindy Lopez

Jules Sande

Chloe Speck

Ash Wacholtz

Meywelyn Enriques

Men’s Ensemble: (*=singer)

Alejandra Aguilar

Javarious Burris

*Terrell Campbell

*Jacob Carman

*Joey Chanthavisouk

Malik Davis

Abel Fanuel

*Anthony Glay

*Adonis Henderson

Dayshon Jennings

Men’s Ensemble: (*=singer)

*Nate Kuehnast

Ty Schluter

Ben Stinnett

*Andy Sweazey

*Collin Vik

*Maddox Williams

Isaiah Winter

Crew: Kendra Morris

Taryn McKimmey

Hailey Davis

WHAT’S NEXT AT WCCT? HERE’S A “CLUE”

The lights have dimmed on six dramatic performances of “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Webster City Community Theatre. Coming next is the fast-paced, farce-meets-murder mystery “Clue,” scheduled for April 5-7 & 12-14.

Auditions for “Clue” will be held Sunday, February 18, and Monday, February 19, at 6 pm at WCCT located at 1001 Willson Avenue. Adults wishing to try-out will do cold readings from the script which is based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin. Scripts are available for 3-day checkout at Kendall Young Library.

Those auditioning are asked to bring a list of conflict dates so a rehearsal calendar can be made. Read through will be announced following auditions. Rehearsals will begin the week of February 26 and will be held 3 to 4 nights per week.

There are major roles for 3 females and 4 males to portray the familiar characters in the classic Hasbro board game: Wadsworth the butler, Miss Scarlet, Mrs, White, Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green and Mr. Plum. Director Loween Getter will also be casting females for Yvette the French maid, the cook, and the singing telegram girl as well as males for Mr. Boddy, a motorist, chief of police, and a policeman.

Assisting Getter is production manager Katie Hildal. Volunteers wanting to get involved behind the scenes or front of house are welcome to attend auditions or can contact them at 515-297-0846 or 515-402-6818.

The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects.The race is on as the body count stacks up.

“Clue” is the comedy whodunit that will leave the audience in stitches as they try to figure out... WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT!

shiningstar

When did you first start taking guitar lessons?

I started taking online lessons around three years ago, but I switched to in-person lessons with Jeremy Ober about one year ago.

What is the most challenging thing about playing the guitar?

A year ago I would have said the bar chords. Although those can still be challenging at times, I would say doing lead guitar and picking out the right individual notes while keeping time and not rushing or slowing

Abby Toms

down is more challenging. Picking the notes gets more challenging the longer I have to repeat a part because there is more time that I could mess up.

What do you most enjoy about playing the guitar?

I enjoy the challenges that come with learning new songs, and I enjoy how many different things one can do with the guitar whether that be strumming and being more of a back-ground filler or a lead guitar part.

What made you decide to take voice lessons?

I wanted to learn where my limit is with my voice and learn how to sing without going flat or sharp.

What do you most enjoy about being a part of your church’s Praise Team?

I enjoy the community that comes with it. I love how they all cheer each other on, and how they never judged me for where my abilities were when I started. I also appreciated that they did not count my age against me, and that they treat me like a young adult instead of a young kid.

Who inspires you and why?

Francesca Battistelli inspires me because she started her singing career when she was young, became married, had kids, and still found time for music. I also appreciate how she kept her faith and did not conform to this world even when she gained popularity.

If you could take a trip, anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I would travel to a mountain that is located right outside of Nashville, Tennessee and hike into it so that I was not by the road with all the cars. I love that the mountains out in Tennessee have rocky parts but also contain plenty of trees. Being up on a mountain, I can look out and see a great amount of land, and the view reminds me that there are bigger things than the problems that I am facing. There is also just a sense of peace about being away from tons of people.

What do you plan to do after you finish school?

I would love to become either a worship leader at a church or start/join a band.

Walk us through a typical day in the life of Abby.

Every day I start off with making my bed then proceeding to start school. Once I am done with school, I will usually play some music and sing to it while I straighten up my bedroom. After that I will practice guitar or vocals. I often do both at the same time. Then I will probably go outside and play with my brothers. Once the evening hits I will either play a song on my guitar, watch a movie with my family, or read a book.

Age:15 • Hometown: Gowrie, Iowa • Instrument: guitar, vocals, and occasionally piano Grade/School: 9th – I am homeschooled and duel enrolled into South East Valley for extra circular activities.

Pulse THE S & H O U T !

MARCH LOCAL EVENTS CALENDAR

MARCH 2

Midnight Garden Prom

5:30 PM - 9:00 PM (CST)

Best Western Starlite Village

Avey Grouws Band with The Ronley King Band

6:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Historic Phillips Auditorium

1015 5th Avenue North, Fort Dodge, IA

Marc Bailey

7:00 PM

River Hops Brewing

1014 Central Ave, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 3

Iowa Roots for

Byron’s Music and Art

3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Phillips Auditorium

1015 5th Ave N, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 6

“The Hallelujah Girls”

Mar 6 - 9, 2024·Wed, 7:00 PM - Sat, 7:00 PM

Hawkeye Community Theatre521 N 12th St, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 7

Justin Goodchild

LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

ShinyTop Brewing

520 Central Avenue, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 9

Jessica McClintock

7:00 PM

River Hops Brewing

1014 Central Ave, Fort Dodge, IA

Jared Benson

LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

ShinyTop Brewing

520 Central Avenue, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 12

Color Your World

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Fort Dodge Public Library

424 Central Ave, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 15

APW 21

6:00 PM

The Cardiff Event Center Fort Frenzy

3232 1st Ave S, Fort Dodge, IA

Jeremy Ober

8:00 PM (CDT)

Bootleggers

1239 S 22nd St, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 16

The Dance Challenge

Iowa Central Community College

7:00 AM

Iowa Central Community College One Triton Cir, Fort Dodge, IA

Bockfest

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

River Hops Brewing, 1014 Central Ave, Fort Dodge, IA

Elvis Tribute Show

7:00 PM

Joseph Hall

Fort Frenzy, 3232 1st Ave S, Fort Dodge, IA

Jake Kemble & Kick

LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

ShinyTop Brewing

520 Central Avenue, Fort Dodge, IA

KC Rockers

at The Laramar Ballroom!

8:00 PM - 11:59 PM

Laramar BallroomLaramar Ballroom, 710 1st Ave N, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 17

Karl King Municipal Band Irish Concert

3:30 PM

800 N 32nd St, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 21 - MARCH 23

St. Edmond High School Presents: “Annie”

St. Edmond High School 2321 6th Ave N, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 22

515 Big Band Concert

7:00 PM

Phillips Auditorium 1015 5th Ave N, Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 23

2024 Spring Vendor Show

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Fort Dodge Parks, Recreation & Forestry 617 Central Ave, Fort Dodge, IA

Webster County Pheasants

Forever 39th Annual Banquet

4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Webster County Ag Center 22770 Old Hwy 169, Fort Dodge, IA

Jeff Harms and Joe Parrish

7:00 PM

River Hops Brewing, 1014 Central Ave, Fort Dodge, IA

APRIL 5 & 6

Home & Farm Show

Iowa Central - East Campus

2031 Quail Ave - Fort Dodge, IA

Friday, April 5 - 1 to 7pm

Saturday, April 6 - 8am - 5pm

Burger

716 Main Humboldt

Amigos 280 N. 1st St.

Applebee’s 2810 5th Ave. S

Bloomers on Central 900 Central Ave.

Buffalo Wild Wings 2909 5th Ave. S.

CasaBlanca Steak House Hwy 169

Ardys Mae Coffee and Dessert 14 S. 14th St.

Community

Peking

Hacienda

Ja-Mar

Lomitas Mexican Restaurant 2223 5th Ave. S.

Mineral City 2621 5th Ave. So.

Ninja Sushi Steak House 407 S. 25th St.

Perkins 511 S. 32nd St. Pizza

St. edmond musical announced and is planned for march 21-23

St. Edmond Catholic School cast for Annie, the upcoming musical, has been selected and rehearsals are underway. The musical is an annual tradition at St. Edmond. It dates back to 1980 and surprisingly, Annie has never been performed until this year.

Please plan on attending and inviting your family and friends in support of our students, as they share their talents with the Fort Dodge community. The Musicals are well attended and showcase the many talents of our students.

Annie is based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.”

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations ... and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver

Tickets are $10 each and will soon go on sale. You will be able to purchase them in the High School Administration Office. Watch for further details on our St. Edmond Catholic School Facebook page.

Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

a look back THE CRYSTALS

By Tom Tourville

HEARING THOSE SWEET SOUL AND R&B SOUNDS AT FORT DODGE

Anytime an all-girl group came to your local ballroom, it was a can’t miss show. How about if they were to appear at your ballroom more than once? It must have been fun when New York City’s Crystals came to the Pla Mor Ballroom. As I have spoken about in past columns, it was not often when you could see all-girl groups on the Midwest ballroom circuit, so having a group as successful as the Crystals, it was an event.

In 1961 Barbara Alston, Dee Dee Kenniebrew, Mary Thomas, Patsy Wright and Myrna Giraud formed their first group that they decided to name the Crystals. It was not long before they were offered a recording contract from Phillies Records owned by the legendary Phil Spector. While Phil’s role was important to the Crystals sound, Phil always wanted full credit for their success. It is also important to share that Spector pulled one of the “biggest lies” on the Crystals and their reputation, but more on that later. Let us get back to the Crystals story.

The Crystals first hit record was in 1961 with the double sider, “There’s No Other/Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby” (Phillies 100). This was the first record released on the legendary Phillies Records label and it reached Billboard’s Top #100. After this record release Myrna Giraud left the group and was replaced by Delores LaLa Brooks.

In 1962, Spector pulled a fast one, so to speak, on the public as well as the Crystals, that was his “Big Lie.” To record and release the next Crystals single, Spector hired Darlene Love and the Blossoms to come into the studio and record as the Crystals. That record was “He’s A Rebel,” backed with “I Love You Eddie” (Phillies #106). This record was released under the Crystals name, yet the real Crystals knew nothing about this recording session.

It was a very successful release as it reached #1 in the U.S. and was the only #1 hit using the Crystals name. Spector claimed he could not get the Crystals to Los Angeles fast enough to record the songs. Hey Phil, have you ever heard of plane tickets? Spector did not forget about this switcheroo, as the next Crystals single, “He’s Sure The Boy I Love,” was another release by Love and the Blossoms under the Crystals name. That song went to #11 on the Billboard charts. My guess it is here where the Crystal’s attorney had a firm understanding with Mr. Spector and his “sleight of hand” had better come to an end and it did. I need to note that Darlene Love did not know what Spector was up to.

In 1963 the real Crystals started to record again under their name. Mary Thomas was to leave the group and they decided to stay with four female vocalists. The Crystals came back strong with their next release “Da Doo Ron Ron/Get It” (Phillies #112). It reached number #3 in the nation followed by “Then He Kissed Me/Brother Julius” (Phillies #114) with this song reaching #6 in the U.S. Both records reached gold record status and both sung by the real Crystals.

In 1964 tensions between Spector and the Crystals mounted and the group left Phillies Records and were signed by United Artists Records. The Crystals always claimed Spector cheated them out of recording royalty payments. 1964 also saw the departure of Patsy Wright from the group and she was replaced by Fatima Johnson. Soon Barbara Alston would leave and then the Crystals would stay at three female vocalists. They recorded two singles for United Artists and neither record charted. The Crystals officially broke-up in 1967 after failing to chart for United Artists. They have appeared sporadically all the way through 2020 with one to two original members participating in these one-off shows. Sadly, Barbara Alston passed away in 2018 while Phil Spector passed in 2021.

Their recordings have been used in such movies and TV shows as “Adventures In Babysitting,” “Goodfellas,” “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” “Mad Men” and “Stripes.”

The Crystals were a part of our Pla Mor Ballroom history. They appeared in downtown Fort Dodge on the Fun A-Go Go Show in August of 1965. It appears this was a very late booking for the ballroom.

It would appear the real Crystals appeared at the ballroom! As far as is known, Love & The Blossoms never went out and appeared as the Crystals. It is incredible to think how the Crystals played such an important part in the history of pop music as well as the history of Iowa and the Pla mor Ballroom.

artistspot

Byron Stuart

Age: 71 • Hometown: Pomeroy • Career: Living Day by Day

When did your love of music begin?

When I went to Iowa State University for college, I found some friends that I started to hang around with. They took me along to see the Allman Brothers. I had never been to see live music. I saw them and the first thing I wondered was “Where have they been hiding this all my life”. Their 15 minute long songs turned me onto music for the rest of my life. Then I was introduced to the Grateful Dead. I saw them in the fall of ‘71 after Duane died earlier that spring. The cover to attend live music was only $5 back then. You got in early and left late. People were respectful and fully embraced the talented musicians

I went to ISU to major in Telecommunicative Arts and switched to a Speech and Drama major later. I wanted to go to a school in Minnesota to be a DJ ,but my mom wouldn’t let me.

Did you come from a music loving family?

My family didn’t even have a stereo. They finally got a suitcase radio when I was in high school. My mom went to a record store and asked them to suggest something for me for my birthday. They picked one out and I was given an album by the Eagles.

What inspired you to open Byron’s?

I had been a bartender for 10 – 15 years and when the bar, where Byrons is now located, came up for auction I was interested. Initially they wanted $60,000 - 70,000 for the building. I got it at the auction for $17,000 with

everything in it. I said I wasn’t going to make it into a Grateful Dead shrine but, after a guest brought me a Jerry Garcia t-shirt, it all got out of hand.

When, after opening, did you start having live music?

I opened in January and had Larry Myer perform in May. Larry suggested I have Rob Lumbard. After Rob performed, live music started happening once every two or three months. Shortly after, I saw Brother Trucker at the M-Shop in Ames. I fell in love with their sound instantly. They started showing up often enough to play that they quickly become known as the “house band”. My first national act was Todd Snyder on March 4, 2001. Todd was so great and I was nervous something would go wrong with a musician of this caliber. Word started to spread and before long Canned Heat had contacted me to play. The date they played just so happened to be my 50th birthday. What a way to celebrate!

What have been some of your most memorable performances?

There are simply too many to pick from. I always say “the next show” is my most memorable show. I do remember Kevin Gordan playing the night before Ragbrai came through Pomeroy one year. He ended up playing for 6 hours that day. I’ll never forget that show.

Why is live music important?

I don’t know. It affects my body. I don’t know how to explain that. I only feel it when I’m listening to live music. It must be in the air. The vibrations are felt through every cell in my body.

Do you play any instruments?

I played baritone in high school. I was in plays, band, choir, editor of the paper and manager of all the sports teams. I was a social butterfly in high school. I loved the experience.

What makes Byrons so special?

This is not like church, Byrons fills in from the front as opposed to from the back. It’s become a family. Live music only happens once.

What can people to do help “Save Byrons”?

People are encouraged to attend our fundraising events scheduled for March 3 at Historic Phillips Auditorium. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com for that and will be available soon for our events on April 12 and 13 at Historic Phillips Auditorium and the Laramar Ballroom. People can also bid on the online auction that contains artisan items donated by friends, family and musicians. The Friends of Byron committee also set up a Gofund me where anyone can donate.

KING BAND IRISH CONCERT MARCH 17

The second in a series of three indoor concerts by the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge will be held on Sunday afternoon, March 17th, in the Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium, located at 800 North 32nd St. There is no admission charge, since these concerts are provided by the City of Fort Dodge. Conductor of the band is Jerrold P. Jimmerson, and the Assistant Conductor is Dan Cassady, with Paul Bloomquist announcing.

This concert, which will begin at 3:30 p.m., is the band’s traditional Irish Concert in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Many familiar Irish tunes will be performed, including everyone’s favorite, “McNamara’s Band”, as arranged by former conductor Reginald R. Schive.

Other selections on the program include a traditional Irish folk song, “Mother Machree”, and the “Gaelic Rhapsody”, a medley which includes such standards as “Irish Tune from County Derry”, “The Kerry Dance”, “The Rakes of Mallow”, and “The Minstrel Boy”.

Several march selections will be performed, including “McKinley’s Own” by Karl L. King, along with “Across the Atlantic” by Russell Alexander, and “Theme from Profiles in Courage” by Nelson Riddle, otherwise known as “The John F. Kennedy March” from the TV series based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book.

A beautiful tone poem, “Mannin Veen”, by Haydn Wood, will be the afternoon’s classical highlight. Subtitled “Dear Isle of Man”, this collection of well-known, traditional Manx folk melodies includes “The Good Old Way”, “The Manx Fiddler”, “Sweet Water in the Common”, and “The Harvest of the Sea”. The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. As one of the six Celtic nations, Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century AD, and the Manx language, a branch of the Gaelic languages, gradually emerged.

One of America’s most popular composers of light, classical music, Leroy Anderson, will be represented with two movements from his ‘Irish Suite”, originally written and premiered by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Arthur

Fiedler. These include the First and Fourth movements, “The Irish Washerwoman” and “The Wearing of the Green”.

Jason Laird, a chiropractic doctor in Fort Dodge, will lead the audience in a singalong of the well-known Irish standards, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “My Wild Irish Rose”. Dr. Laird graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High in 1991 and from the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport in 1999. He has been in several cabaret performances, Stage Door Productions musicals, Sonshine Singers and recently did a story telling project with the Fort Dodge Area Symphony at their recent holiday concert.

These concerts always close in the traditional way with the playing of our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. In case of inclement weather, this concert may be cancelled on concert day. Any announcements will be made on the band’s Facebook page at: https://www. facebook.com/karlkingband/ or on the band’s website at www.karlking.us.