Siouxland Life - July 2014

Steak house gets international raves

Actors don’t just mail it in at Playhouse

Merging schools goes smoothly for communities

A GUIDE FOR LIVING IN SIOUXLAND

FAIR GAME PLYMOUTH COUNTY BUSTLES WITH FAMILY FUN

PRESERVING WESTMAR’S PAST PRESIDENT’S HOME FINDS NEW PURPOSE

JULY 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE IS ON THE WEB! VISIT WWW.SIOUXCITYJOURNAL.COM/SIOUXLANDLIFE

Proud to Live & Work in Siouxland

RYAN JENSEN, DMD

BRIAN B. BURSICK, DDS

DOUGLAS A. WHEELOCK, DDS, PC

Dr. Ryan Jensen was born in Idaho and lived most of his life in Idaho Falls. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology with minors in business management and chemistry from Brigham Young University. In May 2013, Dr. Jensen graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio with his DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). Dr. Jensen and his wife Kara have three children, ages 6, 4, and 2. They welcomed their fourth child in November 2013.

When not practicing dentistry, Dr. Jensen enjoys the outdoors, especially wake boarding, snowboarding, and whitewater rafting. He is also active in his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dr. Jensen joined Wheelock and Bursick Dentistry in July 2013.

Dr. Brian Bursick is a Sioux City native growing up in the Crescent Park area. He attended West High School and graduated in 1986. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the University of Nebraska Dental School in 1994.

After graduation he practiced briefly in Sergeant Bluff, IA. In 1997 he joined Dr. Wheelock as an associate.

In 2004 he became a business partner.

Away from the office Dr. Bursick is busy with his family. He and his wife Kristy have three young sons.

Dr. Bursick is devoted to delivering quality comprehensive dentistry to the people of his hometown, Sioux City, IA.

Dr. Wheelock established his own dental practice in 1977. It originally was only 2 blocks from its current location at 4100 Morningside Avenue.

Dr. Wheelock was born and raised in Sioux City graduating from Sioux City Central High School in 1969. He went on to receive his Bachelors of Science degree from Briar Cliff College in 1973. He attended dental school at the University of Iowa and earned his Doctor of Dental Science degree in 1976. After graduation Dr. Wheelock returned to Sioux City.

Dr. Wheelock is involved in his community & church.

Dr. Wheelock is married to his college sweetheart, Marilyn, and has three adult sons and three daughters in law. He is the proud grandfather of five incredible grandchildren.

Dr. Wheelock is proud to call Siouxland home and enjoys providing quality dental care to the community.

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JULY 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

CONTENTS July

2014

When summer rolls around, Le Mars, Iowa, kicks into high gear. Everything from Ice Cream Days to the Plymouth County Fair gives visitors a chance to see what a small town can do. This month, we take a look at some of the activity in Sioux City’s neighbor to the north, the Ice Cream Capital of the World.

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STREETSCAPES Downtown Le Mars bustles with art

25 ON THE COVER Trenton Frerichs of Hinton, Iowa, listens to music while relaxing in the Sheep Barn during a past Plymouth County Fair. Photograph by Dawn J. Sagert FEATURES 4 HOME preserving the past 10 COLLECTION buckle up 12 LE MARS great steaks 14 LE MARS streetscapes 17 LE MARS wine time 19 LE MARS 20 questions 22 LE MARS postal playhouse 25 LE MARS fair game 29 LE MARS going round

30 33 36 38 40 42 44 46 47

LE MARS 4-H start LE MARS merging schools LE MARS dairy origins LE MARS remembering Westmar LE MARS three wishes LE MARS cold storage HEALTH power foods HEALTH medical answers Parting Shot

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PLAY BY PLAY Broadcaster keeps games lively

PUBLISHER Steve Griffith EDITOR Bruce Miller EDITORIAL Dolly Butz, Tim Gallagher, Earl Horlyk, Nick Hytrek, Ally Karsyn, Michelle Kuester, Marcy Peterson, John Quinlan PHOTOGRAPHY Tim Hynds, Jim Lee, Dawn J. Sagert DESIGN April Burford and Kathryn Sesser ADVERTISING SALES Nancy Gevik ADVERTISING DESIGN Kayla Fleming ©2014 The Sioux City Journal. Siouxland Life is published monthly by The Sioux City Journal.

For advertising information, please call (712) 224-6275. For editorial information, please call (712) 293-4218.

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THE STARTING GATE Beginning the ice cream process

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JULY 2014

3

HOME preserving

the past

was built in The home Attorney ity C y b 1919 artin.

M S. t Herber

PLE

FORMER WESTMAR COLLEGE PRESIDENT’S HOME OFFERS

ENTY OF CHARM

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DEBI DOUMA-HERREN HAD AN affinity for old homes long before she had the funds to buy one.

“My mom and I, when I was little, we would go to different towns and find different houses I would like. That was a fun thing for us,” she said. “In Northwest Iowa, there’s probably an older home in every town that I’ve somewhat claimed.”

Once in a while, her mom will see one for sale and let her know it’s on the market. It’s a throwback to an amusing childhood memory.

Text by Ally Karsyn | Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert

Douma-Herren has already found a special property in Le Mars.

She bought the former Westmar College president’s home in 2007. She lives there with her husband, Tighe Herren, and three children, Bradyn, 8; Landyn, 5; Left: Debi Douma-Herren and her husband Tighe Herren live in the former Westmar College president’s home with children, from left, Bradyn, 8; Trentyn, 10 months; and Landyn, 5. Above: Douma-Herren renovated the kitchen almost immediately after purchasing the home in 2007. The stylings share similarities with the architect’s original early 20th century design.

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and Trentyn, 10 months.

This old house has undergone extensive renovations, making it the second Douma-Herren updated for modern living in Le Mars. Her previous home, eight blocks away on Central Avenue, prepared her for what she was about to take on.

“I got done with that and decided I wanted a new project. I walked by this house almost every day,” she said about the prairie-style home on Fourth Avenue Southeast. “I knew it had a unique history.”

She spent the better part of a day in the basement of the Plymouth County Courthouse, searching through books of property records to uncover whatever

she could about the home.

She found that City Attorney Herbert S. Martin built the home in 1919. Martin later represented New York Life Insurance Company in farm foreclosures during the depression era Farmers’ Holiday movement. His health declined after a volatile auction reported by Time magazine in 1933.

Westmar College purchased the property in 1940 to use as the president’s home until 1997 when it was sold by the City of Le Mars.

Dorothy Martin, the attorney’s only child who never married, kept records of the home’s early years. After she passed away in 2002, a boxful of historical

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Above: One of the guest bathrooms. Left: The master bathroom.

documents was returned to the house.

“The previous owner was kind enough to hand it to me,” Douma-Herren said. “When I dug through it, I was very amazed at what was in there.”

She’s now the keeper of the home’s original architectural drawings by John Werling, who also designed the Carnegie Library, the current headquarters for the Le Mars Arts Council.

Douma-Herren also discovered remnants of the defunct college still in the home. A long library table had been left in the attic.

“When I brought it to the main level, I found the Western Union College stamp on the bottom,” she said. The institution’s name changed several times since it was established as the Northwestern Normal School and Business College in 1887. She refinished the library table for the family to use.

In the basement, she came across a map bearing images of the Teikyo Westmar University campus, which chronicles a brief merger with a Japanese school in 1990. She hung that relic in the home office.

Douma-Herren didn’t grow up in an old house, but she was always drawn to the charm and character of these aging abodes. Throughout college, she would collect and refinish furniture, picturing it in a place of her own.

The former college president’s home offers ample room. It has four bedrooms, including a master suite, plus a couple bonus spaces.

The sleeping porch tells of an era before home cooling systems existed. The

Above: Debi Douma-Herren came into possession of the home’s original architectural drawings by John Werling, who also designed the Carnegie Library, the current headquarters for the Le Mars Arts Council. Her 5-year-old son Landyn shows off the blueprints. Right: The home’s master bedroom.

window-lined room would allow a nice breeze on a hot summer’s night. With the advent of air conditioning, DoumaHerren converted it into her kids’ playroom.

Other unique qualities include quarter sawn oak used throughout the main floor and upstairs, coffered ceilings and a brick fireplace matching the exterior masonry used in the foundation.

Without meaning to, Douma-Herren restored the kitchen to its former glory.

She started the renovation almost immediately after purchasing the house to maximize the small kitchen’s function

and flow for her family.

Later, she reflected on the architect’s early 20th-century design and noticed marked similarities between the old and new cabinetry, down to hardware. Even the china hutch she picked looked like a piece that was once in the kitchen.

Douma-Herren has remained true to period-style finishing while updating the home according to modern living standards.

“I appreciate vintage and original pieces to the period of a house but also family-friendly features,” she said. “I don’t live in a museum.”

BEAUTIFUL AND BOUNTIFUL - RAISED BEDS ENHANCE TODAY’S HOME GARDEN A charming landscaping feature that delivers home-grown vegetables, herbs and fresh flowers without a trip to the farmer’s market – it’s no wonder raised-bed gardens are popping up in neighborhoods around the country. A raised garden bed sits above its surroundings in a lush display of color and edible bounty whose care and maintenance is easy on the back and knees.

Occupying whatever sunny space is available, framed in wood, stone, corrugated metal, a single bed or several in a pleasing configuration, raised beds may be anywhere from 6 inches to 3 or more feet high. Ideally, the beds will be no more than 4 feet across, allowing the gardener to reach into all parts of the bed from the edge.

Naturally rot-resistant wood such as cedar or redwood creates a longer lasting frame, but thick planks of pine, recycled plastic deck lumber, stone, brick, cinder block and corrugated metal sheeting all create their own looks and will endure. Or start with a raised-bed kit -- home and gardening supply stores offer them in many varieties and sizes.

Spreading weed-suppressing fabric or using thick layers of newspaper, wetted with a hose, where the bed will be placed is all the ground preparation necessary, as long as the raised bed is deep enough to accommodate the roots of your plants.

Create Optimal Growing Conditions A raised bed enhances your garden’s yield. Soil that is fertile and stays loose supports denser plantings than a traditional plot. Plants are arranged close enough to touch when full grown 8

JULY 2014

to create a lush display of foliage and color.

Fill your raised bed with a soil made up of plenty of organic material such as compost, peat moss and decomposed manure mixed with top soil and sand or perlite to promote good drainage.

Because no one is stepping on the garden to tend to it or pick vegetables, the soil stays loose, allowing roots to expand freely and promoting quick and healthy plant growth.

Plant vegetables for sequential harvest: Replace early-producing plants with those that grow later in the season, all interspersed with long-growing herbs. Planting flowers among the vegetables and herbs add color and attracts bees and butterflies to pollinate your crops. Edible flowers such as nasturtiums, lavender and pansies enliven the garden’s color and may be used as a garnish or salad ingredient.

Proper composition and the elevation of the soil provide optimal drainage, which helps your plants thrive. In dry times, the excellent drainage means the garden requires regular watering.

Create a simple and efficient watering system by laying soaker hoses along the surface of the soil between plants. Organic mulches such as straw or wood chips can help retain moisture and moderate soil temperature in hot, dry weather.

By controlling the soil that goes in, you can minimize the weed seeds present in the soil.

And because plants in a raised bed grow closely spaced, they crowd out many weeds. You can spend more of your gardening time planting and harvesting, and when a few weeds do show up, they are all within reach and easily pulled out of the loose soil.

All ages can enjoy gardening a raised bed.

They’re great for gardening with children, who can help plant and weed without stepping on and compacting the garden soil. Beds can be built tall and narrow enough to be accessible from a wheelchair or be placed on a table-like frame for that purpose.

Numerous how-to’s are available online to guide you through building your own raised garden from scratch. Check out Pinterest for designs in various materials and creative looks. And visit www.hbags.com to find a professional to help you plan your dream garden and landscape.

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COLLECTION buckle

up!

Dave Lehner, president of the Plymouth County Toy Club, has been collecting Plymouth County Fair belt buckles for years.

PLYMOUTH COUNTY FAIR

BELT BUCKLES ARE A POPULAR COLLECTOR’S ITEM

b

Text by Dolly A. Butz | Photographs by Jim Lee

BELT BUCKLES ARE AS popular to collect as they are to wear.

From John Deere to NASCAR to beer brands, Dave Lehner said manufacturers put anything and everything on a buckle.

“It’s just endless. Some of the designs are really obscure,” he said. “If you’ve got the money, they basically can make it.”

The Town & Country Toy Club took over the task of producing the Plymouth County Fair belt buckle in 1986. Lehner, who serves as the club’s president, said numerous themes have graced the pewter face plates, which often honor a service organization or highlight a popular fair activity, such as the demolition derby, carnival and tractor pull.

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JULY 2014

“There has been a buckle every year since ‘81,” he said as he stood in the club’s small white house in the fairgrounds’ Pioneer Village pulling belt buckles from years past out of a glass case.”We do an all-pewter buckle and one that has color in it.”

Each year, the club’s 12 members suggest a few themes and then choose one of them. The belt buckles, which are fabricated in Wisconsin, arrive sometime in June.

In 2006, the fair’s buckle featured the 4-H emblem, a windmill and a round barn located on the fairgrounds, while 2001 was engraved with the crests of the Iowa State Patrol, Plymouth County

SIOUXLAND LIFE

Sheriff’s Office and Le Mars Police Department. The 2002 buckle pays homage to those who perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A bald eagle is flanked by an American flag.

“It’s probably the only year that we didn’t do something about the fair,” Lehner said.

The 2014 buckle depicts children involved in the fair’s horse project tending to horses in an outdoor pen. A second version of the buckle offers some color. A girl’s shirt is aqua blue, while two of the horses are brown and tan.

Annually, 150 new collectible buckles are available for sale. The pewter buckles this year will sell for $20, while the

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“After this past year, out of the 150, we’ve got eight buckles left,” Lehner said of the 2013 design. “The pewter ones are still by far, surprisingly, a little more popular.”

The back of each buckle is engraved with a serial number. Collectors can reserve their number ahead of time.

“We go through and pull them out,” Lehner said. “If you’ve had No. 32 for 10 years and I say this year, ‘I don’t have No. 32,’ they kind of get heartbroken on that.”

No. 1 and No. 2 are donated and auctioned off at the fair. They’ve netted up to $1,200 each for the fair, according to Lehner, who is a collector himself and has served on the Plymouth County Fair Board for 18 years.

“I have every year, with some years being multiples,” he said. “I’ve kind of passed this on to my kids and my grandkids. Hopefully I’m going to have a collection of buckles for each one of them. It’s getting kind of hard to go back to that 1981. I’ve got to have six of them.”

Some of the early buckles, Lehner said, cost about $100 a piece. Other years have decreased in value. He regularly wears the 1987 Toy Club-themed buckle.

“The face of it is pretty well beat up,” he said. “Basically, I wear it every day.”

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LE MARS great

steaks Siblings Lorrie Luense and Bob Rand at Archie’s Waeside.

Rand purchased the business from his mom, longtime owner Valerie Rand, in 1994.

WELL-DONE:

ARCHIE’S WAESIDE MAKE GRADE AS ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP STEAKHOUSES

i

Text by Earl Horlyk Photographs by Jim Lee

ITS STEAK HAS WON raves from Rachael Ray, “Road Food’s” Michael Stern and its wine selection was a semi-finalist for the 2014 James Beard Foundation Award.

And yet, Archie’s Waeside isn’t in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago.

The venerable steakhouse is located in Le Mars.

Opened in 1949 by Archie Jackson, the 224 Fourth Ave. NE restaurant was operated by Jackson’s daughter Valerie Rand

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Steaks are the draw at Archie’s Waeside.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

from 1973 to 1994, when her son Bob Rand took over the business.

After 65 years in business, Archie’s Waeside is one of the few third-generation restaurants in Plymouth County.

According to Bob Rand, the secret of its success is its steaks.

“My grandpa learned the art of cutting and dry-aging steaks in the packinghouses of Sioux City,” Rand explained.

“He knew you needed great beef in order to have a great meal.”

Rand, Archie’s principal meat cutter since he was 14 years old, said the country’s best beef comes from Northwest

Above: Archie’s Waeside. Top right: Fresh salad ready to be served at Archie’s Waeside. Bottom right: Missy Nicks cooks steaks for customers.

Iowa and Northeast Nebraska.

This is why Archie’s menu is loaded with steaks – top sirloin, rib-eye, porterhouse and a peppered New York strip.

Yet the steakhouse is equally known for its shrimp, scallops and Alaskan crab legs, which are flown in daily.

“Some of our customers come from the East or West Coast but they say our seafood is the freshest they’ve ever had,” Rand said with a smile.

Such compliments are common, according to Rand’s sister, Lorrie Luense.

“We regularly have customers who make the drive from Sioux Falls or Omaha to have a meal at Archie’s,” said Luense, who works from the front of the house when her brother stays in the kitchen. “For them, Archie’s is a destination.”

Yet Rand said many of Archie’s diehard customers are local.

“We have customers who come in for dinner three or four times a week,” he said. “Many of them have been coming in for years.”

What such customers can expect is a deliberately “old school” meal that begins with a relish tray and continues on to salads with made-from-scratch dressings.

“It would be easier to serve pre-made foods,” Luense admitted, “but if you had a hand in the making, it simply tastes better.”

Most of Archie’s staff is as experienced as the owners. For instance, bartender Molly Boever has worked there for the past 51 years while cook Kim Staab has been there for at least 35 years.

“We have always been blessed by our staff,” Luense said. “They’re as important to Archie’s success as Bob and me.”

While Archie’s Waeside has made some overtures toward today’s lighter

THE DETAILS What: Archie’s Waeside When: 5 - 9 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday; 5 - 10 p.m. Friday; 4:30 - 10 p.m. Saturday Where: 224 First Avenue NE, Le Mars Phone: 712-546-7011 or archieswaeside.com

meals, Rand said his menu leans more toward the “foodies.”

“They say people are less willing to spend money at restaurants but that isn’t true at Archie’s,” he said. “Thirty years ago, a family would come to our restaurant right before a movie. Nowadays, they skip the movie, stay longer at dinner and regard Archie’s as their show.”

For such customers, Rand makes sure there’s plenty of top-drawer wines and specialty craft beers in stock.

“We want any trip to Archie’s to be an experience,” he added.

Reflecting upon Archie’s, Luense knows it’s impossible to separate the

restaurant’s history with her family history.

“I chart each restaurant expansion with an important date in my life,” she said. “Oh, I got married when we remodeled the dining room or the birth of my children came about the same time we made remodeled the kitchen.”

The steakhouse’s homey feeling extends to the front of the cavernous building where mom Val Rand, 84, continues to live.

“Mom still comes by every day, telling us what to do,” Rand said with a comforting smile.

Still, Luense acknowledged that Archie’s Waeside represented a special place in the lives of their customers.

“We’ve had customers meet their spouses at Archie’s,” she said. “We’ll see them come back as they marry, have children and, then, grandchildren.”

“Archie’s is more than just a restaurant to them,” Luense said proudly. “It’s become a tradition.”

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LE MARS streetscapes

Artist Lisa Scheitler, of Le Mars, created a colorful, folksy mural behind the Shepherd’s Closet, at 36 Central Ave. NE, as part of the town’s alley art project.

ALLEY ART

AIMS TO BRIGHTEN DOWNTOWN LE MARS

l

Text and Photographs by Ally Karsyn

LIVELY MURALS AND PLAYFUL paintings cover the once-chipped, cracked and peeling walls and boarded-up windows in sidestepped spaces. Community members and regional artists have been working to transform the dingy alleyway into a downtown destination in Le Mars.

Mary Reynolds, co-chair of the alley art project, envisions townspeople and visitors getting an ice cream cone or cup of coffee and strolling through the backstreets to see works of art.

“The purple building is the perfect example of what the project is about,” Reynolds said, pointing to the backside of dental office. “We are literally covering that building in art whether that be the color itself, the painting or the window inserts. It’s transforming the whole building.

“Most people don’t walk down alleys, but we want that in Le Mars.”

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Funded through private donations, public art is planned in nine alleyways to be completed within five to six years.

Artist Lisa Scheitler, of Le Mars, was given a blank wall behind the Shepherd’s Closet, a thrift store that doubles as a Christian ministry, at 36 Central Ave. NE. She created a folksy mural, complete with whimsy little birds perched among the branches. The large-scale painting also has a stained glass window effect.

She wanted color, lots of color – and meaning. “The tree is a symbol of being firmly planted in life,” she said.

Scheitler already has another mural in the works. She’s sketching ideas of an aquatic scene for Perkins Office Solutions on Central Avenue.

On a humid afternoon in June, she volunteered to help with a simpler project of painting a stairwell bright blue. It was a group effort to cover all surfaces.

Valerie Hunter, of Le Mars, sat under the

SIOUXLAND LIFE

steps with brush in hand.

“I like to give back to the community,” she said. “I’m retired so might as well paint.”

Last year, Hunter helped Jean Weiner with the first mural in “Claussen’s Alley,” dubbed after a clothier on the block. She painted the background of the garden scene and Weiner filled in the details.

The two spent most of September in the passageway and befriended a UPS deliveryman. Stores were receiving packages in bulk ahead of the holiday season.

“Brown,” as they nicknamed him, drove through every day.

“We told him we’d try to incorporate him into the painting,” Hunter said. She took a picture of him, had it printed out and pinned it to the garden bench for him to see. It was given to him as a parting gift.

Hanging out behind the downtown buildings proved to be a charming experience.

DETAILS What: The Alley Art project in Le Mars, Iowa, is a public art initiative designed to turn downtown alleyways into outdoor galleries.

Where: “Claussen’s Alley,” between Central Avenue and First Avenue Northeast. Murals have been completed behind Hotopp Jewelry & Gifts, at 26 Central Ave. NE; the Shepherd’s Closet, at 36 Central Ave. NE; and other buildings in the corridor.

How to help: Artists, volunteers and people hoping to contribute to the project may contact Mary Reynolds at the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 712-546-8821.

Different themes are carried throughout the corridor. Some are related to nearby businesses but not all. You’ll see an array of frogs and golf motifs, a nod to the “Wizard of Oz” and a celebration of jazz and the era of speakeasies.

“It adds a whole new dimension to downtown,” said Richard Ziettlow, cochair of the Alley Art project. “These alleyways have a life of their own.”

The project is one of three public art initiatives in Le Mars. The first called for the installation of 56 painted ice cream cone sculptures, along with a dog and a cow. The second, an ongoing endeavor, promotes historic murals.

The most recent one was done by Harry Gray, of Le Mars. He painted eight blackand-white vignettes on a downtown building along the railroad tracks, depicting the town’s history of trains. An early 1900s accounting scene is planned to grace the side of the firm Kroese & Kroese.

While the large-scale murals require an experienced hand, all skill levels are welcome to color exterior walls, doors and dumpsters.

Heidi Boehme, director of Campus Life Middle School in Le Mars, had a handful of kids helping out one afternoon to earn “credit” toward Youth for Christ Camp.

It was a unique service opportunity for them to leave a positive mark on the community.

“A lot of the kids we serve are at-risk,” she said. “This project gives them ownership of something in the community. They did it and they’re not going to destroy it.”

Carlie Arens, 12, stood on a ladder, painting an electrical pole. It started out as a rainbow but turned into a patriot theme instead. She dabbed yellow paint onto a star-shaped stencil. She was excited to take friends and family back to the site and show them her handiwork.

And that’s precisely a point of this project – taking something unexpected and making it a haven of art.

Valerie Hunter, of Le Mars, sits under a stairwell with brush in hand, adding color to the once dingy alley off of Central Avenue. “I like to give back to the community,” she said. “I’m retired so might as well paint.”

Carlie Arens, 12, paints an electrical pole in “Claussen’s Alley.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JUNE 2014

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LE MARS wine

time

LE MARS WOMAN UNCORKS A PASSION FOR FINE WINE

k

Text by Earl Horlyk Photographs by Jim Lee

KATHY SCHWADER WILL ALWAYS remember the first man to steal her heart: Philippe de Rothschild.

“It was back in 1978 when I drank fine wine for the first time and Philippe de Rothschild was the one,” she said, smiling at the memory. “From that moment, I knew I’d always be a wine drinker.”

In the spirits industry for more than 35 years, Schwader opened Cork It! Wine, Spirits and Brew about three-and-a-half years ago.

Located at 769 Prospect St. S.W., the business has a wide array of liquors, craft beers and wine accessories, along with an impressive number of domestic and imported wines.

“Everyone asked me if I was nervous about opening up my own shop,” Schwader, the longtime manager of Le Mars’ Hy-Vee wine department, said.

“To be honest, failure never crossed my mind. If it had, I would’ve never even tried it.”

Since opening the doors of her store in 2010, she said customers have come from as far away as Sioux City and Sioux Center.

“We carry wines that retail from $3, wines that retail for $300, and everything in between,” Schwader said. “I try to have something for every taste.”

In fact, Schwader considers herself to be something of a “wine whisperer.”

“I try to gauge the types of wine a person would like to drink,” she said. “If a person likes sweet wine, I’ll try to find out how sweet is sweet. After all, some people don’t think chocolate cake is sweet enough.”

“Also, if a person likes robust wines, I’ll see if they’ll be drinking it alone or if with a meal,” Schwader continued.

“Wine tastes different when it’s paired with foods.”

Schwader said her interest in wine came about through her love of history.

“I’m an avid reader of books and the history of wine has been colorful to say the least,” she said. “There’s something wonderfully romantic and dramatic about wine.”

Schwader said wine quickly became her passion. This is why she hosts wine

Kathy Schwader, owner of Cork It! in LeMars. Cork It! offers a variety of wines, spirits and beer.

WINE 101 Whether you’re a wine fanatic or a wine newbie, Cork It’s Kathy Schwader has a flavor that’s right for you.

“Wine appreciation is a series of steps,” she said. “You start off slowly before going toward more complex flavors.”

For white wines, Schwader recommends a Moscato as a good introduction for newcomers. After that, one can begin drinking Rieslings and, eventually, a Chardonnay.

DETAILS What: Cork It! When: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday - Saturday Where: 769 Prospect St. SW, Le Mars, Iowa Phone: 712-546-1611

For red wine drinkers, she suggests a nice, mild Merlot before graduating to a Cabernet or a the fuller flavored Syrah.

tastings as well as events where wine is paired with food.

“I consider myself a wine connoisseur as well as a ‘foodie,’” she said.

“Food is essential to life but wine make life more interesting.”

And Schwader is constantly getting tips from her clientele.

“You can never learn everything there is about wine,” she said. “My customers are knowledgeable enough about the subject that they always teach me a thing or two.”

Which is great for Schwader, who

said wine is best when served in a social setting.

“Nobody drinks wine alone,” she said.

“It’s meant to be served to friends and family in a social setting.”

Reflecting for a moment inside her Tuscany-inspired tasting room, Schwader said following her dream was the right decision.

“When I meet St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, I didn’t want to tell him I spent my entire life selling Bud Light,” she said, laughing. “I knew I had to follow my passion and that was wine.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

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Together we are stronger 18

JULY 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

PROFILE Q&A

20 QUESTIONS with a KLEM Radio sports director

Denny Callahan Text and photographs by Tim Gallagher

Denny Callahan, the dean of sports broadcasters in Northwest Iowa, serves as sports director at KLEM Radio in Le Mars, Iowa, a position he’s held since 1973.

1. Describe the duties you perform at KLEM Radio.

I have a 6-10 a.m. air-shift Monday through Saturday, plus I have three sports shows per day at 7:20 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. My official title is sports director, so I do play-by-play of games involving Le Mars and Gehlen Catholic as well as tournament games involving Plymouth County sports teams.

2. What’s the best thing about your job?

I love doing the play-by-play of the games and getting to promote the sports careers of the young people in our school systems. It seems to me that kids get a bad rap sometimes, and I get to promote them in a positive way through athletics.

3. How do you meet the demands of both early morning and late-night work?

It takes some discipline! Making sure I get rest when I can...Usually a power nap in the afternoon when I can get it. I think my body has kind of acclimated itself to short nights through 40-plus years of this kind of a schedule.

4. What sticks out as the most memorable Gehlen Catholic game you ever covered?

That’s easy! The 1995 State baseball title game at Carroll in which Gehlen won its first state title in school history with a walk-off home run by Jamie Pick against Lansing Kee. A close second, though, is the state football title game that same year in which Brad Sitzmann ran 99 yards for a touchdown to help the Jays win their first State football title over North Mahaska. The 99-yard run still stands as a championship game record.

Those two Gehlen moments have gotten a lot of play through the years on the game tapes I did for some parents.

5. What sticks out as the most memorable Le Mars Community game you ever covered?

The first year I was in Le Mars, in 1973, the Bulldogs won the 3A state football title and finished unbeaten. One of the standout running backs on that team, Keith Brown, has become a life-long friend and has done color on KLEM football broadcasts for more than 25 years.

Unfortunately, last summer’s sub-state baseball game between Le Mars and Bishop Heelan goes down as memorable, but in a negative way. It was certainly the most bizarre night in my broadcasting career. Really heart-breaking!

6. What is your top Westmar College sports memory?

The Westmar football team made its only NAIA playoff appearance in 1987 and lost at Wisconsin-Steven Point. (The game was later forfeited when W-SP used an ineligible player to win the national title.) Westmar beat Northwestern early that season for the first time in almost 18 years. Westmar opened the game with a 10-minute touchdown drive.

7. How did you adjust to the closing of Westmar College?

It took a while for the shock to wear off. Eventually, though, I found that it actually freed my schedule a little bit to allow more family time, something that I sacrificed through the years with this job.

8. Describe the most adverse weather conditions you’ve ever encountered while calling a

game for KLEM.

I’ve sat outside on some pretty cold nights doing football playoff games and some rainy, windy baseball games. In 1991, Gehlen and Hinton played a playoff football game in Hinton that ended in a blizzard. Gehlen won the game in overtime on a field goal into a gale-force wind that actually blew the ball back under the cross bar. Or did it? It’s still a point of contention between the two fan bases to this day whether that field goal was good or not. The rest of the playoff games had to be played in indoor facilities that year.

9. Who is the most famous person you’ve interviewed or covered at KLEM and what was the occasion?

That’s tough! I’ve had the opportunity to interview a lot of celebrities through the years: Pete Rose, Mike Ditka, Vern Den Herder, Dick Vitale and Joe Theismann, to name a few. The guy that left the most lasting impression on me was John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach. What a class act. He spoke in Sioux City back in the 1980s at, I believe, a Kiwanis event or something.

10. You have covered all sorts of games and community events.

What’s the most unusual assignment you’ve had?

I was involved in a pig-kissing contest and also a Mega Burrito eating contest!

Never a dull moment!

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19

Yo

lth

Pets’ Hea r u

Presented by Robert Billiar, DVM And Brooke Gilbert, DVM

COMPLICATIONS OF TICKS AND FLEAS ON OUR FURRY FRIENDS Our first instinct is to get rid of fleas and ticks as quickly as possible; however in addition to treating and preventing parasites, we must be aware of related diseases these parasites cause.

Following are some complications of flea and tick infestations.

1) Flea bite allergies. Dogs and cats with flea bite allergies show signs of itching and scratching, hair loss, and secondary skin infections. Pets with flea bite allergies can be itchy for up to two weeks from just a single flea bite.

2) Tapeworms. Fleas are the main vector for tapeworms, which infects dogs and cats when they ingest fleas that are carrying tapeworm larve.

Tapeworms live in the small intestines and vary from less than an inch to several feet in length. The head of the worm fastens to the wall of the gut by hooks and suckers.

3) Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and other tickborne bacterial infections. Many tick species transmit bacterial organisms to dogs and, on occasion, cats. The typical signs of tick borne diseases include lethargy, deceased appetite, fever, lameness, joint swelling, enlarged lymph nodes, and weight loss.

4) Bartonellosis in cats. Cats are reservoirs of several bacteria that cat fleas may transmit.

Cats are typically infected by contact with either infected fleas or flea feces. Bartonella is important because of its association with cat-scratch disease in humans.

When we see fleas or ticks on a pet, we must do more than just get rid of them.

At South Sioux Animal Hospital we have testing available for these parasites and diseases as well as preventative and therapeutic drugs.

Please contact Dr. Brooke Gilbert or Dr. Robert Billiar if you have questions related to flea and tick-borne disease.

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11. Tell us the role Jerri Callahan (Denny’s wife) plays in your live game broadcasts.

A very important role! She keeps a drive chart and stats for my football broadcasts and keeps the score sheet on my basketball broadcasts. She takes the summers off to tend to things at home.

But she never misses a game, tuning in KLEM on the nights she’s not actually with me.

12. As a high schooler yourself, what sport did you enjoy most?

Definitely baseball! I was an allconference catcher for Morning Sun High School in southeast Iowa. Baseball is something my family excelled at. My brother played for Iowa briefly and my dad was an outstanding ballplayer.

13. What person in the radio business attracted you to this trade and why?

I grew up listening to games on the radio and was always fascinated by how the announcers made you feel like you were actually there. My wife has gifted me with a collection of some of the Hallof-Fame announcers from the glory days of radio. Some of the pioneers that made radio play-by-play magical. I listen to those tapes from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s quite often. It reminds me of what I want to sound like in my broadcasts.

14. What activities at the Plymouth County Fair do you find most interesting?

I like it all! I enjoy just walking around the grounds and talking to people you bump into. Virtually everybody in Le Mars is on the fairgrounds at some point and time during the fair. I enjoy seeing the kids accomplishments through their 4-H and FFA projects.

15. The Internet has changed all businesses, maybe those in the media as much as any. How has the Internet helped you at KLEM? Do you have listeners now from all over the United States and beyond?

I spend about as much of my day updating my KLEM Sports website as I do with actually on-air time. With streaming becoming a bigger part of our broadcasting presence, we get response from all over the world from people that hear games or other aspects of our broadcast day. A lot of snowbird grandparents I

402-494-3844 www.ssah-pc.com

20

JULY 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

know listen to the streaming of basketball games in the winter. Yeah, it has changed the landscape quite a bit.

16. What is the most challenging sport to describe on the radio, and why?

I’d have to say volleyball for me! It really moves fast, so you really have to have your wits about you. It’s hard on your voice, too. It was a sport I had to learn a lot about to get efficient at doing play-byplay on. It’s still a work in progress. Wrestling another tough sport. There’s no ball involved! That’s seems unnatural.

17. Have you ever won the Citizen of the Day award at KLEM, or has a member of your family? And did you have to do the honors?

Actually, I think I’ve won it twice and, yes, I had to read it on the air myself.

That was pretty awkward!

18. If you weren’t in radio, what would you be doing?

I always thought I’d be a farmer like my dad. But when he sold the family farm in my freshman year of high school, I had to come up with a new plan. I have wondered what it would be like to be a teacher! Some other way to connect and help kids.

19. Briefly describe what Le Mars and Plymouth County mean to you and your family.

I moved to Le Mars in 1973. It was to be a brief stepping stone in the early stages of my broadcast career. It did not take long to realize that this community was an outstanding place to raise a family and set down some roots. It wasn’t long before my wife and I started looking to buy our first house and start adding to our family. The school system is first rate at both Le Mars and Gehlen Catholic in academics, athletics as well as in the arts. The people have always been supportive and welcoming. They really rallied around me and my family when I had a cancer scare in 2007. Although that was seven years ago and I have not had any issues since, hardly a week goes by that somebody doesn’t ask about my health.

20. What is your favorite flavor of Blue Bunny ice cream?

I love Peanut Butter Panic and Chocolate Sensation just to name a few. There are many more!

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21

LE MARS postal

playhouse

The Le Mars Community Theater’s Postal Playhouse once housed a post office.

GOING POSTAL LE MARS COMMUNITY THEATRE THRIVES IN HISTORIC BUILDING

t

Danna Schuster, theater vice president, is shown in the lobby at the Le Mars Community Theater’s Postal Playhouse.

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

Text by Earl Horlyk Photographs by Tim Hynds

THE STATELY WINDOWS AND elegantly tiled floors might be a dead giveaway.

So are the glass-enclosed ticket stations and the governmental safes.

In certain ways, the Postal Playhouse still looks like the actual U.S. Post Office it was up until the mid 1970s.

Yet, new seating, LED lights and other renovations give the permanent home for the Le Mars Community Theatre a decidedly professional panache. “(The Postal Playhouse) certainly has great curb appeal,” Margaret Britton a frequent Le Mars Community Theatre actor, noted. “It doesn’t look like any other community theater around.”

So how did a community theater end up inside a former post office? Bonnie Dull, one of its founding member,

remembered the troupe’s initial vagabond beginnings.

REPURPOSING A LE MARS LANDMARK “When the community theater group began in 1968, it didn’t have a home,” Dull recalled. “Our shows would be performed inside a high school auditorium, the county courthouse or any place they would take us.”

That changed when a new post office was built, which left the old building – built in 1914 – unoccupied. In 1977, the community theater leased the building from the city.

Over the years, numerous improvement projects were financed with the City of Le Mars Local Option Sales Tax dollars, Hotel/Motel Sales Tax dollars, Plymouth County Local Option Sales Tax dollars as well as private donations.

Among the more recent projects have been a new light board, a remodeling of a board room as well as wider seating for the theater.

“We are so appreciative of the support of the city for the community theater,” said Danna Schuster, Le Mars Community Theatre vice president.

Still, she said it’s been a cadre of volunteers who have helped to with chores such as painting and repairs.

‘THIS THEATER BECOMES A PART OF OUR LIVES’ Schuster had just completed directing a production of Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama, “A Few Good Men,” featuring Richard Buman, a relative community theater newcomer.

Now a marketing coordinator for Le Mars’ Hy-Vee, Buman had previously worked as a set builder for San Diego’s professional Old Globe Theater.

“We lucked out by getting (Richard),” Britton said. “He’s been great both in front of and behind the scenes.”

“I needed a creative outlet but I didn’t know what to expect about community theater,” he admitted. “Happily, everybody welcomed me right away.”

Likewise, Buman’s “A Few Good Men” castmate Dan Casey was hesitant about auditioning for a role because he hadn’t acted since college.

“A few years ago, I saw a notice in the paper that the theater was doing ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ which is a favorite of mine,” Casey, the plant manager of Nor-Am Cold Storage, explained. “I ended up having a great time.”

While Buman and Casey are community theater neophytes, Audrey Scholten is a veteran.

Danna Schuster, theater vice president, is shown at the Le Mars Community Theater’s Postal Playhouse. The stage was set for a previous performance of “A Few Good Men.”

him, Casey said he feels out of place.

“I’m so used to being at the theater, I don’t know what to do with my time,” he said.

A mailbox in the entry of the Le Mars Community Theater’s Postal Playhouse.

A retired Le Mars elementary teacher, Scholten made her Le Mars Community Theatre debut in a production of Neil Simon’s “The Star-Spangled Girl,” nearly 40 years ago.

“Were you the star, the spangle or the girl?” Casey asked.

“I was definitely the spangle in that play,” Scholten said, laughing at the memory.

Over the years, Scholten has acted in and directed countless plays and musicals.

“The theater becomes a part of our lives,” she said. “During all of the rehearsals and the productions, we’re here more than we’re at home.”

With “A Few Good Men” now behind

‘IT’S NOT A PLAYHOUSE ...

IT’S A PLAY HOME’ Britton – the daughter of Bonnie Dull, one of the theater’s founders – began acting as a teenager. Britton “retired” when she was raising her five kids. It has only been in recent years that she has returned to the Postal Playhouse.

“My mom directed Danna and me in that show,” Britton recalled. “Mom taught us how to sit.”

“That’s right,” Dull interjected. “A proper lady never crosses her legs to sit.

Instead, she crosses her knees.”

Casey said such good-natured giveand-take is normal among the theater regulars.

“Even though this a volunteer effort for everyone,” he said, “we all want to be supportive of one another.”

Buman nodded in agreement.

“When I first walked into this theater, everybody was a complete stranger to me,” he said. “Now, I have a whole new group of friends.”

Buman said he has lived in many different parts of the country, yet he moved back to his native Midwest when he decided to raise a family.

“Being in community theater is a great creative outlet for us and we love what we’re doing,” he said. “When I think of the Le Mars Community Theatre, it’s not a playhouse ... it’s a play home.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

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JULY 2014

SIOUXLAND LIFE

LE MARS going

round

Briana Moon, of Westfield, Iowa, shows her mare, Dirty Star, at the Plymouth County Fair horse show in Le Mars, Iowa.

I FA R

e

Text by John Quinlan Photographs by Judy Bowman, Jim Lee,

Molly Montag, Dawn J. Sagert

EDUCATION. ENTERTAINMENT. ECONOMICS. These are the three E’s of the Plymouth County Fair, a succinct summation of what Tony Schroeder sees as the great impact the 73-year-old fair has on the people of Le Mars and Plymouth County. And it is just plain

LEAVES ITS MARK ON PLYMOUTH COUNTY

exciting, he added.

Schroeder, now in his third year as president of the Plymouth County Fair Board, said economics is just one impact among many of the fair.

“It’s everything. It’s entertainment.

It’s education. It’s family bonding,” he said.

A fair was held in Merrill for many years in the early 1900s, finally outgrowing the facilities. Then in May of 1941, a special meeting was held at the SIOUXLAND LIFE

Tony Schroeder is shown at the Plymouth County Fair Livestock Pavilion in Le Mars, Iowa. The federal Office of Management and Budget has added the county to the official Sioux City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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DETAILS WHAT: Plymouth County Fair WHEN: Wednesday, July 23 to Sunday, July 27. Hours 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

ADMISSION: $10 per person. Children under 5, free.

WHERE: 500 Fourth Ave. NE, Le Mars, Iowa MORE INFO: Call 712-546-7398 or visit plymouthcountyfair.org.

Above: Meredith Kellen of Alton, Iowa, paints picnic tables at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Le Mars, Iowa.

Members of 4-H and FFA groups and other volunteers built 75 tables for the fair. Top: Kody Jackson of LeMars, Iowa, tries on a clown wig at the Angel K booth at the 2013 fair.

Union Hotel and the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce unanimously voted to purchase 20 acres to be used for the promotion of agriculture and 4-H club work in the county. The first Plymouth County Fair was held in Le Mars at the present location in September of ’41.

An agriculture society was then organized in 1944, authorizing county 4-H clubs to erect buildings and make improvements.”

“Improvements” has been the buzz 26

JULY 2014

word since before Schroeder, a Plymouth County 4-H’er in his youth, joined the Fair Board in 1979 at the age of 23.

“One thing we’ve always said is, ‘if you stay the same, you go backwards,’” he said, “because how often are you going to come to the fair if it’s the same old thing year after year?”

To that end, the fair board did a feasibility study in 2000, came up with 10 things that needed to be changed, like adding more grandstands, the ninth

SIOUXLAND LIFE

item on the list, which was completed last year.

As a non-profit organization, the fair board isn’t trying to make money. “We just try to get our bills paid and our upkeep, our buildings,” he said.

But the fair is a fund-raising bonanza for many service clubs and other county organizations, including the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce, he noted.

And while he has no fiscal numbers available, he figures it must benefit area businesses.

“I know our hotels are willing to work with us because we need to put heads in the beds, as they tell us,” he said. “We fill the town and there’s never any room open. We bring a little over 100,000 people annually to the fair for that week, and all the businesses in town see a boost – the gas stations, the convenience stores and the eating establishments, the hotels, the motels, the implement dealers. So it has a huge impact on the community, whether from Remsen to Kingsley to Akron to Hinton. The whole county’s involved with it out here.”

Schroeder compares the fair to a family reunion.

“What I see as enjoyable is the people that I see only once a year – they live across the county – and it’s like a reunion. And we have a tough time in getting people to go home at night because they’re still visiting,” he said.

One of the new things for folks at this year’s event, running July 23-27, is an interactive agriculture exhibit that is taking over the famed Round Barn, thanks to a partnership the Fair Board’s Agricultural Association has with the Le Mars Chamber.

“They are ramrodding all this for us and they have really, really stepped up to the plate and promoted it,” Schroeder said.

This is a little unique for the Chamber and its Ag Division, said Adler, a regular worker at the Chamber’s bingo stand at the fair.

“The Ag Division is putting together an interactive agricultural educational

The Plymouth County Fair board’s Matt Reuter, of Le Mars, Iowa, engraves a name on a picnic table at the fairgrounds in Le Mars.

exhibit. It will feature displays from commodity organizations, videos, photos of Plymouth County ag, as well as of the barn quilts that are located within the county,” Adler said. “And we have a teaching lab, an actual (combine) cab that young people will be able to sit in and simulate driving and planting and so on. It’s going to take up the entire Round Barn, both floors. So it’s turned into a huge exhibit.”

Visitors are going to learn more about county agriculture and various value-added processing industries within Plymouth County, he noted.

As to the economic benefits the fair brings, Adler said it is always advantageous for businesses to market to new customers when there is an event that brings thousands of people to the community.

“That’s obviously a benefit to the businesses in the community overall,” he said. “And it’s always great to have the opportunity to bring people into town. We’re sure that there are those that stop to eat off the fairgrounds at restaurants and do the typical things.”

Haley Jungers cools off with tropical snow during the Plymouth County Fair in LeMars in 2011.

Then there is the livestock auction at the end of each county fair, which provides a little reward money for the kids showing animals at the fair, Schroeder said.

“That’s what we’re trying to teach these kids, how to take care of an animal, how to feed the animal the right nutrition,” he said. “I think they should be paid a little bit for being educated and doing a good job and taking the time. We have sponsors that are more than willing to be part of that, and they’re proud of it. The sponsors get a banner saying they were the 2012 Buyers Auction Recipient.”

Should the fair suddenly disappear, maybe swept away by a tornado or some such disaster, it would be sorely missed.

“I think the pride of the county would be devastated,” Schroeder said, adding that the memories of the good times would bring out the volunteers who would simply built the fair back to what it was.

It is just such volunteers who keep the fair running smoothly today.

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JULY 2014

27

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

LE MARS going

round

THE ROUND BARN

t

OFFERS A LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF AGRICULTURE

Text by Michelle Kuester Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert

TRADITIONALLY, BARNS CONJURE IMAGES of red, angular buildings with white trim and a rooster-shaped weather vane perched on top.

However, the Plymouth County Fairground’s historic Round Barn, as the name suggests, trades in the squared-off walls and angled roof for a cylindrical base and rounded top.

The barn will be featured as an agricultural education exhibit called “a ROUND the farm in the BARN” at the Plymouth County fair. The exhibit will open with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. July 22.

“In the past, the Round Barn was used as a Christmas in July exhibit,” said Dennis Morrice, member of the agriculture committee on Le Mars’s Chamber of Commerce. “The fair board decided that it needed a change.”

“When you think of the Round Barn, you think of agriculture,” he continued. “ We thought it would be appropriate, then, to make it an agriculture exhibit.”

Largely due to the work of 22 volunteers, the Round Barn will be a comprehensive lesson in agriculture, housing static and interactive exhibits, including the Ag Cab Lab. “It’s a simulated experience of driving a combine at harvest,” said Morrice. “It’ll be one of our showcase exhibits.”

The Ag Cab Lab will allow users to sit inside the cab of a combine and use the controls to steer the simulated machine, which can be seen on a large television as though they are looking out the front window of the cab.

The Round Barn will also house displays about poultry, eggs and safety, among other topics.

“It’s certainly our hope that this would be an ongoing use of the Round Barn and part of the future Plymouth County fairs,” said Paul Jacobson, chair of the Chamber’s agriculture committee.

“We want to bring what people don’t know about agriculture to the community,” he continued.

One of the committee’s goals is to

Above: Ag Committee of the Chamber of Commerce Member Dennis Morrice, left, and Chair Paul Jacobson, right, are shown at the Round Barn on the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Le Mars, Iowa.

show people how important agriculture is to everyday life.

“Sometimes we don’t understand how that food item ended up on the grocery store shelves,” Morrice said. “A lot of things connect to agriculture and people might not realize that.”

An architectural stand-out, the Round Barn began construction in 1918, the idea of Plymouth County farmer H.A. (Peter) Tonsfeldt who wanted a unique building to showcase his prized cattle. Construction concluded two years later.

After being sold a handful of times, the barn was gifted to the Plymouth County Fair board in 1981. Today, the Round Barn is still an iconic part of the community.

In order to keep the exhibit new and exciting for fairgoers, the committee plans to update the barn each year with

new agriculture-themed displays.

“We want to keep it fresh,” said Morrice.

The Round Barn was recently renovated in preparation for the fair, including new shingles and fresh paint. As a result, the barn looks relatively new, despite being almost 100 years old.

“It really looks great,” Jacobson said, as he looked at the barn. “We hope this will be a new staple of the fair.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

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29

LE MARS 4-H

start

Eight-year-old Sara Skuodas, of Hinton, Iowa, makes a patriotic streamer during a 4-H Clover Kids Day Camp in June.

4-H BLOSSOMS IN PLYMOUTH COUNTY

d

Text and photographs by Ally Karsyn

DURING THE 4-H CLOVER Kids Day Camp, about a dozen first- through thirdgraders gathered around a table to learn how to make a duct tape wallet. Nineyear-old Tessa Ellensohn, of Le Mars, took strips of the sticky, pink patterned material and started to imagine other duct tape crafts she could make at home.

She enjoyed an activity-packed day of

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being able to hang out with her friends, make crafts, swim and go to the park.

Three other crafting stations were set up in the Le Mars Convention Center. Fortyeight kids decorated tote bags, made “stained glass” kites with color tissue paper and put together patriot streamers.

“This is our end-of-the-year hurrah,” said Jodi Fisher, the Plymouth County Extension Office program assistant and Clover Kids coordinator.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

At the beginning of the school year, about 160 children signed up to participate in the program filled with hands-on activities. Eight elementary schools in Plymouth County have a Clover Kids group. Once a month, they meet to make crafts, eat snacks, play games and do science projects. They’ve learned how a pumpkin grows and rainbows appear.

They made insta-snow with a polymer and launched soda straw rockets.

Above: Plymouth County Extension office and program assistant Jill Leners, left, helps 9-year-old Tessa Ellensohn, of Le Mars, make a duct tape wallet during a 4-H Clover Kids Day Camp in June. Below: First- through third-graders decorated tote bags, shown here, made “stained glass” kites with color tissue paper and put together patriot streamers.

“They learn through play,” Fisher said.

“That’s the fun part about it.”

They’re also encouraged to be a part of the Plymouth County Fair, taking place July 23-27. They can showcase items related to food, clothing, science, technology or creative arts. Kids have taken LEGO projects, cookies and embellished flip flops.

Everyone gets a fluorescent green participation ribbon.

A benefit of going to day camp is that each kid automatically gets one of his or her four crafts entered in the fair.

At the Clover Kids event in June, 8-year-old Sara Skuodas, of Hinton, Iowa, worked on making her last craft of the morning. She attached red, white and blue crepe paper to a wooden hoop. Her favorite one was the wallet. “Mine’s going to the fair,” she said.

A special booth will be set up in the

4-H exhibit building to display their projects. “It’s pretty much like the big kids,” Fisher said. And to a little kid, that’s a big deal.

Tessa’s face lit up as she talked about the first farm animal she was getting ready for the fair.

Through Clover Buddies, kids can show lambs, goats, calves, rabbits and poultry. They can bring a pet to the open pet show, too.

“I’m going to do a calf this year,” she said. “His name is Cotton. It was my uncle’s surprise to me.”

She was working on halter-breaking Cotton, the brown cow, trying to teach him to not jump on her and to follow her lead instead. Caught up in the excitement of showing her bottle calf, Tessa almost forgot to mention her tie to royalty.

Her sister, Leah, was crowned Plymouth County Fair queen last year.

She’s looking forward to becoming a full-fledged 4-H member with the Grant Clever Clovers like her siblings, who have made “muffins and stuff” to take to the fair. Tessa already tags along and goes to monthly meetings. The leaders always bring an extra craft for her.

Fisher said a majority of Clover Kids participants go on to join a 4-H club.

Thirteen-year-old Arlinna Bowen, a volunteer at day camp, enrolled in the Grant Clever Clovers as soon as she could in fourth grade. She enjoys learning new skills and exploring different fields.

Besides lambs, she’s taken on a few sewing and home improvement projects.

She’s made a little dress for her younger sister, and this year, she’s working on a quilt.

“I do a lot of things,” she said. “4-H is so much fun.”

SIOUXLAND LIFE

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31

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LE MARS merging

schools

UNITED WE STAND GEHLEN AND SPALDING

i

Text by John Quinlan | Photographs by Gehlen Catholic, Jim Lee and Nate Robinson

IT WAS WITH A little trepidation but no great alarm that the rural Hospers, Iowa, family of Ken and Pam Schmit and their four kids awaited the 2013-2014 school season.

Their school, Spalding Catholic High School in Granville, Iowa, had closed a year ago after approving a merger agreement with Gehlen Catholic High School in Le Mars, Iowa. Spalding’s shrinking enrollment, which had dropped from 285 students in 2002 to 167 in the 2012-13 school year, was the primary reason for the unification plan. So it was inevitable.

Yet it helped that both school systems maintain separate elementary and middle schools.

Spalding is about 26 miles northeast of Gehlen. Both schools are in the Sioux City Diocese, which approved the merger.

The Schmits live on a farm about two miles south of Hospers, which means a 30-minute bus ride for their two daughters.

Ashley and Kaylee, who will be starting their senior and sophomore years, respectively, this fall. Sticking closer to home will be Cody, a Spalding eighth-grader at the Granville center, and Anthony, a Spalding first-grader at the Alton center.

“Transportation was the main concern. The bus provided had a few kinks that needed to be worked out, but once a consistent driver was found, it has gone much better,” Pam said. And Ashley was not happy about getting up at 5:15 a.m. to leave at 6:15 for competition marching band.

It’s a minor complaint, the Schmits said, adding that the mantra “Gehlen Catholic and Spalding Catholic — Together We are Stronger!” really rings true.

Ashley, for instance, loved making new friends and the music opportunities at Gehlen.

So they gave the first year of unification a grade of A-.

“No school is perfect, and there is room for improvement, but I think there is potential to make Gehlen Catholic an A+ school,” Pam said.

“Above all, we love seeing our kids happy,” said Ken, a Spalding graduate.

Above: Students 4 Life & Mass prayed in front of Planned Parenthood last fall. Three times a month, the group celebrated Mass together. Left: The theme, “Together We Are Stronger,” started as a saying on the 2013 volleyball team’s shirts. It then became the mantra for unification.

“And we are confident they are getting a solid education with a Catholic foundation. All of the extra road time and gas money has been worth the investment for our family, and I think most families feel the same way.”

Like the other families, Pam said, they know “the financial toll it was taking on our parishes, and we knew things needed to change.

“Our family was very happy with the unification. We are proud to say our children go to Gehlen Catholic! We have quite a collection of Gehlen T-shirts in one year’s time.”

‘TREMENDOUS YEAR’ The unification process did not come without a few challenges, but the process was surprisingly positive, said Lisa Niebuhr, development director at Gehlen Catholic.

“We have seen the good and the bad unifications and mergers and realignments, whatever words you want to use.

But I must truly tell you that this unification of Gehlen and Spalding was tremendous,” she said. “It was really the uniting of two schools, bringing together the best of both entities and creating a stronger educational system for our children.”

And the kids have an opportunity to forge new relationships, she noted.

She recalled the Saturday night she and her husband Paul went to Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Le Mars

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33

Cari Herbst talks to her students in the transitional kindergarten class at Gehlen Catholic Schools on Oct. 26.

and they noticed five young men walk into church, a group of seniors who resided “everywhere, from Neptune up to Hospers.

“You wondered what were these five young men doing going to Mass together.

But what a great thing! I think it’s really epitomized what we’re trying to do, to help students grow into their faith, give them new relationships, new networks and opportunities.”

Niebuhr said Spalding had been doing some long-range planning, looking at its declining enrollment, and there had been different collaborative endeavors with Gehlen.

“The kids had played football together in 2012 already,” Gehlen Principal Jeff Alesch said. “And the girls cheerleaded together. So most of the kids knew each other, and we had been invited and we invited Spalding kids to our dances in 2012-13 also.”

There had also been some joint academic activities, Masses and junior high athletics, and they shared a joint band director, Niebuhr noted.

“After some pastoring experiences, we had built a strong relationship. So both schools knew the strengths and the opportunities for growth of both buildings. I think both school boards have done their fact-finding, their data gathering, assessing different options and came together with a solid plan,” she said.

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Left: The Spalding Catholic school board opens its meeting Wednesday night with a prayer in preparation for a vote to merge its high school with Gehlen Catholic School. Both school boards held a joint meeting in St. Joseph Church in Le Mars to vote on a unification plan, which both boards approved. Right: The Gehlen Catholic school board discusses merging with Spalding Catholic Schools, in Le Mars in January 2013. Spalding Catholic High School in Granville, Iowa, closed.

The great success of the boys basketball team this past year probably would not have been possible without the merger, she noted. Nor would it likely have happened if the unification came at any other time in both schools’ history, she was told by parents and alumni.

IN THE BEGINNING The unification talk has been going on for five or six years, but the real work began about a year-and-a-half ago when the two school boards got together for a discussion in December, Niebuhr said, though she recalled informal discussions 12 years ago when she started working at Gehlen. The talks moved from a “what do we do together” kind of thing to more seriously outlining a unification plan

Siouxland Life

that took input from family members, staffers, students, faculty and community members.

“A year ago last February, we had a Buddy Day. It was for Spalding students to came down south to Le Mars. We had day-long activities planned together.

Now this is after we were doing some collaborations with our athletics and with our fine arts programs and some academic programs,” Niebuhr said.

Then, in March of that year, the Gehlen faculty and administrative staff spent an evening in Granville talking to the families there, walking them through the steps and explaining Gehlen’s program.

Later there was an Eighth-Grader Registration Night and an Eighth-Grader Buddy Day, with efforts continuing to

integrate the best programs from both schools.

“As we implemented the new year (2013-2014), the Spalding technology student association was added to the Gehlen curriculum,” she said, noting that student organizations like the National Honor Society had class officers from both schools.

Alesch said Gehlen added some homerooms so the kids could meet different students.

“We also tried to incorporate some Spalding programs so the kids would feel more comfortable in their new school and more at home. Another positive was that we had two Spalding teachers join our staff. So they saw some familiar faces as well,” he said.

Most of the teachers working at Spalding were able to transfer to Gehlen or find other positions at Spalding, but a few had to look for new opportunities elsewhere.

“I think that was the hardest part because no one wants to see a colleague go,” Niebuhr said, adding that they were fortunate to find positions in other area school districts.

Unification also did some good things for the greater Le Mars community.

“It allowed Gehlen and Le Mars people to accelerate some conversations with Western Iowa Tech with a

Sharing of the high school football team and cheerleading squads began last fall at Gehlen Catholic. This was taken at a 2013 home football game.

post-secondary education and a dual credit program, something that we had been working on, but unification allowed some conversations to move a little farther forward on that,” she said.

“Each school has its own logos, its own brand. Yet we do have a brand that “Together We Are Stronger.’”

When graduation came in May, there could be found a mix of black, white and green gowns and mortarboards in the Gehlen gym as Spalding grads were given the option of using their Spalding colors, something they all did. Each school also has its own valedictorian and salutatorian, as they will next year, too.

Unfortunately, their diplomas list them as graduates of Gehlen, not

Spalding, as the initial unification agreement called for. The State of Iowa, however, would not allow it, Niebuhr said, since there no longer is a Spalding High.

“One of the biggest changes,” Pam Schmit said, “was going from little Spalding where everyone knows everyone to going to a crowd where you only know a few people. Since we have asked our kids to go out of their comfort zones and make new friends, I think it is only fair that we do the same as parents. Ken and I have made some great new adult friends. It also helps that you work in concession stands with other parents.

As I tell my kids, you can never have too many friends!”

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35

LE MARS dairy

origins Plymouth Dairy Farms General Manager Kurt Wierda.

THIS IS ‘GROUND ZERO’ IN

THE ICE CREAM CAPITAL HEALTHY COWS LEAD TO PREMIUM ICE CREAM

f

Text by Tim Gallagher Photographs by Tim Hynds

FIVE SEMIS LEAVE PLYMOUTH County Dairy Farms four miles south of Le Mars every day. Those trucks haul anywhere from 50,000 to 54,000 pounds of milk.

That’s 250,000 to 270,000 pounds of milk that head north on Plymouth County Road C-49, much of it destined to become ice cream.

Blue Bunny Ice Cream, if you’ll note the signage.

“In less than 10 minutes the milk cools from a cow’s body temperature (98 to 102

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degrees) to 38 to 42 degrees and then is pumped into a semi tanker,” says Kurt Wierda, the general manager at Plymouth County Dairy Farms since 2006.

The Ice Cream Capital of the World, despite what some dessert lovers might think, doesn’t grow ice cream in the freezer. The science for getting the best ice cream starts long before your favorite easy chair.

“Ground zero” is here with Wierda and the dairy farm founded 15 years ago by the Feuerhelm family of Le Mars. The year was 1999 when the family considered building a dairy as a means to market locally grown corn

SIOUXLAND LIFE

and soybeans. The farm’s first cows were milked on Aug. 25, 2000.

These days? Wierda and 31 full-time employees milk 2,800 to 2,850 cows three times per day. Each cow, on average, produces 92 pounds of milk per day.

Wierda cites a measurement of the cows at this dairy that shows their satisfaction. It’s 130,000 somatic cell count, a measurement of white blood cells contained in the milk. That figure is key, a healthy one here when compared to industry standards.

“It’s an indication of our cows’ low stress level, their good health and cleanliness,” he says.

Cows are milked at Plymouth Dairy Farms south of Le Mars, Iowa. Anywhere from 250,000 to 270,000 pounds of milk are trucked from this dairy each day.

In short, a low-stress cow produces more milk and milk of a higher quality.

“I like seeing healthy cows produce,” says Wierda, a native of Maurice, Iowa, who grew up milking cows. The Iowa State University graduate worked for two different dairy operations before landing south of Le Mars on May 1, 2006.

He remembers his first May Day here quite well.

“The temperature was 100 degrees that day,” says Wierda, noting Holstein cows would much rather endure severe cold than severe heat. At Plymouth Dairy Farms, staff members work around the clock to keep their Holsteins at a comfortable temperature. In summer months, that often means running fans, utilizing sprinkler systems and raising or lowering curtain sidewalls to aid ventilation and, thus, help keep cows cool.

“At temperatures above 65 degrees and with humidity over 60 percent, that’s when a cow starts to get uncomfortable,” Wierda says.

Production can drop with stressful weather conditions, he notes. That’s why Wierda and staff work to keep the environment cool and stable.

Even the bedding area is sand, cool, soft and comfortable for the cows. Plus, bacteria doesn’t grow in sand.

What do the cows eat? According to Wierda, the Holsteins consume corn silage (75 to 80 percent of which is grown by the farm), dry hay from Nebraska and South Dakota, a mineral mix delivered by

A sign at the entrance Plymouth Dairy Farms south of Le Mars, Iowa, indicates where some of the great-tasting Blue Bunny Ice Cream gets its start.

a business in Sheldon, Iowa, wet distillers’ grain from Little Sioux Corn Processors in Marcus, Iowa, and soybean mill from Cargill in Sioux City.

“We also feed finely ground corn and cotton seed from Texas, New Mexico and Missouri,” he says.

There are three things Wierda wants each cow to do during a 24-hour cycle: Rest, eat and drink, and milk.

Each cow is tagged at Plymouth Dairy Farms, allowing employees to wave a wand pass a cow’s ear to quickly learn where that cow stands from a production and/or health standpoint.

Cows here are monitored for milk

output. When an animal falls short of projections, it is placed on a “deviation list,” causing staff members to check all facets of the cow’s health.

“We try to be as efficient as possible,” he says.

When you know a customer’s satisfaction at a high point of the day (dessert time) can hinge on your cows, you do everything you can to ensure the best experience possible.

Wierda knows. Because for much of his life, he’s been a consumer, too.

“Vanilla. I like vanilla,” he says with a smile, disclosing his favorite flavor of Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

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37

LE MARS remembering

Westmar

t

Text by Tim Gallagher Photographs by Tim Gallagher

17 YEARS AFTER CLOSING,

WESTMAR STILL GARNERS ATTENTION

A group of men plays basketball at the Le Mars Family YMCA. The YMCA is housed in the former Westmar College gymnasium. With the recent sale of the college’s library structure in 2012, all of the former college’s buildings have either been torn down or sold.

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

and Tim Hynds

THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR the Seattle Seahawks, winners of Super Bowl XLVIII in February, started his coaching career 18 years ago in “The Ice Cream Capital of the World.”

Darrell Bevell, a former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback, coached quarterbacks in 1996 at Westmar University, his first coaching gig.

Bevell was hired that year by Coach Jeff Menage, who died in December 2013, a little more than a month before his former staff member earned a Super Bowl ring while directing quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks in their dominant 43-8 triumph over Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.

It’s the third of three Super Bowl rings that have a late 1990s connection to Westmar. The university’s last president was Sioux Cityan John Harty, who earned a pair of Super Bowl ring with the San Francisco 49ers in 1980s.

The gridiron connection shows that while the Westmar Eagles haven’t soared since the university closed in 1997, the institution is far from forgotten. Scanning the Sioux City Journal obituaries each day, for example, one finds branches on the Westmar family tree.

John Rodeen, for example, was a 1960 Westmar College graduate. Rodeen died in June. He is credited with starting public relations for IBP, inc.

Alice File, a 1967 Westmar alum, died in April. She developed the first programming for the learning disabled of the Remsen Union Community School District.

There are others; a man who helped establish a charter bus line in Le Mars, and a Sioux Cityan who coached little league teams for decades. All maintained their Westmar ties.

Memorabilia from the old Westmar College, including this pennant and felt letters, are shown in a display at the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars, Iowa. The college closed in November 1997.

The school itself isn’t forgotten, either, thanks to a website (www.westmarcollege.org) and a timeless display, the Westmar Memory Room in the Plymouth County Historical Society. In that room, you can scan the accomplishments of Hall of Fame members, examine photos of the college’s presidents and get a close-up look at the old Eagles’ mascot.

Westmar College T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and a history of the college are offered for sale in the facility’s gift shop.

A dozen or so blocks south and east, the old Westmar corner of Le Mars bustles with activity. People lift weights, take classes and play pick-up basketball almost daily at the Le Mars Family YMCA, which moved from a building behind City Hall into Westmar’s former Lifesports Center.

Westmar’s old cafeteria became the Le Mars Convention Center, which hosts events like wedding receptions, reunions, bridal showers and conventions, yearround.

The City of Le Mars purchased 22 buildings on the former Westmar campus not long after the Westmar board of trustees voted to close the school. In 1996, the city borrowed $1.6 million to help the school stay afloat. The bond was paid off in 2006.

Later in 1996, voters approved

The Le Mars Family YMCA is in the former Westmar College gymnasium. The Le Mars, Iowa, school closed in 1997 and many of its buildings have new uses.

borrowing to buy the assets of the campus for $4.25 million.

Closing the 110-year-old college, a decision that came around homecoming in 1997, brought about shock, anger and frustration. Those feelings, in time, softened, replaced with the reality that change is the only constant, and that Le Mars and its people move on.

The old quarterbacks coach who started here obviously adapted, progressed and moved on. Darrell Bevell eventually landed in Seattle and will soon sport one of the most prized pieces in the U.S. sports world, a Super Bowl ring.

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39

LE MARS three

wishes

LE MARS: THE ‘DREAM CAPITAL’ FOR DANCE PRO

‘THREE WISHES’ – AND TWO COMMUNITIES – MADE A DREAM COME TRUE

“

Text by Tim Gallagher

but prospered. Stephanie finished high school with nearly a straight-A grade point average. She cheered “THE ICE CREAM CAPITAL of the World” became for the high school football team, participated in a an entertainment epicenter nine years ago as singer variety of other school activities and kept on dancing Amy Grant delivered a concert while NBC filmed at The Dance Studio in Le Mars.

“Three Wishes,” a reality show that made Stephanie Le Mars is where she learned in 2005 of the “Three Kobes-Newcomb’s dream come true.

Wishes” visit to the Plymouth County seat.

At the time, Kobes-Newcomb wasn’t married. She “I’d danced at The Dance Studio in Le Mars for was recently graduated from Iowa State University 14 years and I was back after graduating from Iowa and facing a $40,000 debt State to see the summer reload while trying to get her cital,” she recalls. “The women career jump-started. where my mother used to Enter NBC and its “Three work, First National Bank in Wishes” concept. The show Le Mars, hosted a graduation chose Kobes-Newcomb as celebration for me. They exone of three recipients. The plained the show’s concept others were Megan Hanno and asked me to try to get on of Le Mars, a 2004 Le Mars the show.”

Community High School She hesitated before relucgraduate critically injured in tantly agreeing to meet with an auto accident, and Terry “Three Wishes” officials, the and Amy Aberson of rural people who would help deSioux Center, Iowa, a couple termine what wishes would who lost their dairy facilities be granted. in a fire that spring.

“I think I was the last perKobes-Newcomb, a 2001 son they saw in the audition graduate of Spalding Catholic process,” she says.

High School in nearby GranShe shared her story ville, Iowa, had emerged from and headed back to Ames, extremely trying circumstancIowa, where she lived at es. Her mother, Darlene Kothe time. Two days later her bes, died of a brain aneurysm phone rang. NBC executives on Easter in 1999, while her wanted to meet with her via daughter was a high school conference call. Kobes-Newsophomore. Five weeks later, comb had an hour to get to Stephanie Kobes-Newcomb went from Spalding Catholic High School to Iowa State University to New York City, Kobes-Newcomb’s father, Ed a site in Des Moines where Kobes, a man who battled man- where she worked with Capezio for two years, serving the call would be conducted. ic depression and schizophrenia Broadway stars and more.

Her wish? Retire those for years, committed suicide. college debts.

In just over a month, a high school sophomore NBC made it come true. “Three Wishes” shared had lost both parents. her remarkable story and paid her college debt.

With the daily support of teachers, extended The result? The dancer with the journalism degree family members and friends from Granville, Alton got to head to New York City, where she began a and Le Mars, the young woman not only advanced, two-year stint working for Capezio in Manhattan,

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SIOUXLAND LIFE

Above: Carter Oosterhouse, left, starred on NBC’s “Three Wishes” in 2005, when it featured Stephanie Kobes, right. She had just graduated from Iowa State University. The show granted her a wish and paid off her college debts. Top: Amy Grant appeared in Le Mars, Iowa, for NBC’s production of the reality show, “Three Wishes” in July 2005. She’s shown talking with local residents at the Plymouth County Courthouse.

The show aired on NBC in October 2005. (Photo by Jerry Mennenga)

helping Broadway stars like Liza Minnelli shop for pants and shoes.

“I helped fit shoes for singer Lauryn Hill and I worked with the man who designed shoes for Will Ferrell in ‘Elf,’” she says. “It was a really cool job.”

While Kobes-Newcomb planned to work in New York anyway, the show made it look like NBC made it happen. In reality, she says, NBC helped her pursue her master’s degree at Colorado University in Boulder, Colo., two years later.

“I maybe wouldn’t have tackled that animal were it not for the show.”

Kobes-Newcomb earned her master’s and is now chair of the dance department, serving her fourth year at Pike’s Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colo. She runs the department and helps supervise 10 adjunct faculty members.

“As a whole, we probably serve 60-70 students,” she says.

The 32-year-old is also a newlywed, having married Stephen Newcomb in October 2013. Stephen

Stephanie Kobes and Stephen Newcomb were married in October 2013. Stephanie chairs the dance department at Pike’s Peak Junior College in Colorado Springs, Colo., while Stephen is an accountant who owns a business called Boulder Swing Dance. The couple lives in Denver, Colo. (Photo by Kurt Kobes)

works by-day as an accountant. Like his wife, he’s very much into dance, and owns Boulder Swing Dance.

“He’s a swing dancer, or a Lindy-hopper,” Steph says.

The show, which aired in October 2005, led to several “sightings” by viewers that year and a year or so later, Kobes-Newcomb says. She was even stopped by a few passers-by in Manhattan who recognized her from the tear-jerking reality show.

She remains thankful for being a part of “Three Wishes,” and even more thankful to be so wholly embraced by two communities: Le Mars and Spalding Catholic.

“I had two communities that enveloped me,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of Spalding and Le Mars.”

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41

LE MARS cold

storage

COLD STORAGE VITAL IN GETTING FOOD FROM PRODUCER TO TABLE

n

Text by Dolly A. Butz Photographs by Dawn J. Sagert

NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF PEOPLE in the United States eat food that was once stored in cold storage.

High-lift operators and runners at Nor-Am Cold Storage in Le Mars play an important role in the production and delivery process, laying hands on pallets of raw meat for hot dogs and hamburgers, Blue Bunny brand ice cream, yeast to produce ethanol and raw carbon fiber used to make battery boxes for drones and other stealth air crafts.

The full-service refrigCasey erated warehouse, 1555 21st St. SW, offers complete temperaturecontrolled storage, processing, boxing, tempering and export services to the food and food service industry.

“Their job really is vital because they are handling for the most part stuff that is going to end up in people’s mouths,” Casey said. “We try not to let them forget that.”

Employees don special waterproof and water-resistant suits, heavy gloves with liners, fleece-lined masks, neoprene face covers and insulated boots with composite toes before entering the blast freezer, where a slew of food products are kept in temperatures hovering between 18 and 20 degrees below zero.

There is a chance of frostbite or catching cold, moving in and out of frigid conditions on a daily basis.

“They’ll build up frost on their faces,” Casey said. “When their extremities get cold, that’s when they’re going to get out.”

Certain people, Casey said, have a better tolerance for the bitter cold than others. He said it’s common to see highlift operators outside eating their lunch on an 80-degree day clad in their Refrigiwear insulated clothing.

A humid day, he said, makes the

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Jason Brangwin, of Nor-Am Cold Storage, wears protective freezer-wear while working the high lift to transport pallets of pork belly at the warehouse in Le Mars.

freezer feel colder, even though the temperature inside hasn’t changed. This affects how quickly employees work and how much time they spend outside

SIOUXLAND LIFE

warming up.

“I know there are guys who don’t like to come out and warm up as much, because it can be progressive, too,” he

Gloves, shown, are part of the freezer-wear protective clothing worn by employees in the warehouse.

explained. “You come out and you get warm and then you get cold again. They don’t like to completely warm up.”

Employees work in teams of three.

One person mans the freezer until the order is picked. Another moves the product to the dock. The third person checks the product at the dock, stacks it and loads it onto a truck. The workers switch positions during their shift.

“That minimizes that guy’s time in the freezer if there’s anything that has to be stacked or put down, his runner is helping him,” Casey said. “Generally, once an order is done, they’ll come out to the dock and they’ll help their crew.”

In the future, Casey said it’s going to be harder to find employees who want

Nor-Am Cold Storage General Manager Dan Casey talks about the protective freezer-wear worn by employees at the warehouse. Casey says that about five workers, per shift, work in the below zero temperatures in the warehouse daily.

to work in the blast freezer. New specially designed cold storage lift trucks allow lift operators to work in a heated cab without a freezer suit. This equipment, Casey said, is very expensive, which is why family owned Nor-Am Cold Storage is still doing it the oldfashioned way.

Narrow-aisle robotic retrieval systems

are the future of cold storage. These tall, narrow facilities use robots to retrieve the storage pallets from the freezer and place them on a conveyor belt that delivers them to the dock.

“People really have no concept of how (food) gets to the grocery store – everything that goes into making it a wholesome product,” Casey said.

HEALTH & LEISURE EXPO August 22, 2014

9am-1pm

Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center 300 3rd Street • Sioux City, IA For more information on booth rental, contact Nancy Todd at 712-224-6281.

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING ACTIVE, REWARDING LIVES

SIOUXLAND LIFE

JULY 2014

43

HEALTH cancer

talk

Powerhouse vegetables are shown in the produce section at Hy-Vee on Hamilton Boulevard.

SOME FRUITS, VEGETABLES MORE POWERFUL THAN OTHERS AT

REDUCING CHRONIC DISEASE

m

Text by Dolly A. Butz Photographs by Tim Hynds, Dawn J. Sagert

Stephanie Schieffer, a clinical dietitian at Mercy Medical Center - Sioux City.

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MOST OF THE TOP nutrient dense fruits and vegetables, dubbed “powerhouse” by a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, can be found at supermarkets and farmers markets in Sioux City, according to Stephanie Schieffer, a dietitian at Mercy Medical Center.

Powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV), are foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk. The bulk of them are green leafy vegetables that are very nutrient-dense, meaning they are relatively rich in nutrients for the number of calories they contain.

Watercress, No. 1, isn’t stocked at Hy-Vee, but Schieffer said the store will order it.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

She couldn’t find chicory, which sits at No. 6 on the CDC’s list, at Hy-Vee either, but she said the grocery store chain does carry endive, a slightly bitter leafy vegetable with a crunchy texture ranked at No. 13 that belongs to the chicory genus.

“I think in Siouxland you can probably find all of theses things,” she said. “I’m sure that many of theses things too are found at the farmers market. I’ve seen some of them, but I don’t think I’ve seen all of them.”

While spinach and romaine lettuce are mild leafy vegetables often used in salads, many of the “powerhouse” vegetables are bitter. Although the study tested the raw version of these vegetables, Schieffer recommends cooking and incorporating them into a savory dish, such as a soup, appetizer or entree.

“Adding some seasoning – pepper,

POWERHOUSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Item

Nutrient Density Score Watercress .................................................100 Chinese cabbage..................................91.99 Chard ......................................................89.27 Beet green .............................................87.08 Spinach ...................................................86.43 Chicory....................................................73.36 Leaf lettuce.............................................70.73 Parsley .....................................................65.59 Romaine lettuce ....................................63.48 Collard green .........................................62.49 Turnip green...........................................62.12 Mustard green .......................................61.39 Endive .....................................................60.44 Chive .......................................................54.80 Kale..........................................................49.07 Dandelion green ...................................46.34 Red pepper ............................................41.26 Arugula ...................................................37.65 Broccoli ...................................................34.89 Pumpkin..................................................33.82 Brussels sprout ......................................32.23 Scallion....................................................27.35 Kohlarabi ................................................25.92 Cauliflower .............................................25.13 Cabbage.................................................24.51 Carrot ......................................................22.60 Tomato....................................................20.37 Lemon .....................................................18.72 Iceberg lettuce ......................................18.28 Strawberry ..............................................17.59 Radish......................................................16.91 Winter squash (all varieties) .................13.89 Orange....................................................12.91 Lime.........................................................12.23 Grapefruit (pink and red) .....................11.64 Rutabaga ................................................11.58 Turnip ......................................................11.43 Blackberry...............................................11.39 Leek .........................................................10.69 Sweet potato .........................................10.51 Grapefruit (white) ..................................10.47

Powerhouse vegetables, such as romaine lettuce, above, and cilantro, left, are available in the produce section at Hy-Vee on Hamilton Boulevard.

garlic – sauteing them in a little olive oil, that can take some of the bitterness out,” she said. “One of my friends, she cooks kale for her kids all of the time. She said they love it.”

Loading up on watercress, kale and collard greens though, isn’t necessarily a good idea. People taking blood thinners, like Coumadin, need to monitor their intake of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin K, which acts as a coagulant.

Schieffer recommends sticking to the general rule: “A little bit of everything in moderation.”

“Even though theses appear to be the top nutrient dense foods, it’s still important to make sure that you get a variety of fruits and vegetables everyday – different colors, different textures,” she said. “Trying to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables is important.”

THE TIME OF

Your LifeIS HERE

ALL INCLUSIVE SENIOR LIVING LEARN MORE TODAY!

Please call or visit us online for details or to arrange a visit 605-242-0013 301 Dakota Dunes Blvd. • Dakota Dunes, SD stoneybrooksuites.com

The Home Builders Association of Greater Siouxland consists of quality builders, subcontractors, and suppliers. If you are thinking about building a new home or have a remodeling project, please contact the association for a list of reputable contractors.

Visit us online at www.hbags.com for a complete list of members or e-mail us at hbasooland@siouxlan.net

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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ADVICE medical

answers

‘DOC, I’VE GOT A QUESTION …’ answers to your medical questions

I get a migraine every day. What can I do to prevent it? Are there foods to avoid?

The term “migraine” gets thrown around pretty loosely, so let’s talk about a true migraine. Most migraine sufferers go through four distinct phases: prodrome, aura, headache, and postdrome. This whole cycle can take days to complete. Some migraine sufferers undergo a process called “migraine transformation,” where those severe but sporadic headaches become lower in intensity but more frequent. If you have never experienced migraines, it is likely that your chronic daily headaches fall into a different category.

If you are having headaches more than 15 days per month that are similar in characteristic, one of the best things you can do is start a headache diary. Recording the date, time, trigger, how it felt, meds you took, and how long it lasted can be an invaluable tool to bring to your primary care physician. Keeping a headache diary may also provide you with some insight into your headaches that you hadn’t recognized before. There are also several apps to choose from that you can use to record your headaches if you prefer to have them on your phone.

One frequently overlooked cause of headaches is called a “medication overuse” headache. This type of headache occurs when you frequently take a pain reliever like Tylenol or Ibuprofen and it paradoxically causes a headache. These headaches actually get better when you don’t take a medication. So in your diary, be sure to record how frequently you are taking these pain relievers.

As far as triggers go, they tend to be different for everyone. Some common triggers are chocolate, cheese, alcohol, caffeine (or lack thereof). Hormones, changes in weather, changes in sleep patterns, strong odors, and loud noises can also be triggers for some people. In short, life can cause headaches. If they happen almost every day, make a diary and go in to visit your PCP for more direction.

How long does it take to see the effects of poison ivy or other outside rashes? What should you do immediately?

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac all fall into the family of Toxicodendrons, or “poisonous trees.” Between 50 to 75 percent of people regardless of age or skin type will react to urushiol, the allergenic component in the toxicodendron family. Most of us are familiar with the intense itching and rash poison ivy can cause, but what do we do about it?

As always, avoidance is the most effective key. Remember the old adage, “Leaves of three, let them be.” If you go hiking, try to wear long pants and long sleeves.

These clothes should go in the washer immediately when you get home, as the resin can remain on clothes for several days. If you immediately recognize that you have come in contact with poison ivy, you should wash it off as soon as possible. Gentle washing with soap and water is more effective than heavy scrubbing, and the sooner you can do it the better!

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Urushiol is absorbed into the skin over time, so as time goes on more of the allergen gets into your skin. Ten minutes is optimal from the time of exposure to removal, but even as far as two hours from exposure can reduce the amount of dermatitis (rash) that you get.

The length of time from exposure to symptom onset is dependent on several factors, including the amount of poison ivy you come in contact with and the thickness of skin where you were exposed.

You may think that the rash is “spreading” over a few days, but really you are seeing new developments on previously exposed skin. Don’t forget to wash those clothes.

If you truly are developing new rashes, it may be due to the resin you collected on your clothes during the initial exposure.

If you have tried calamine lotion, oatmeal baths and cool wet compresses but you are still miserable, be sure to check in with your doctor. Depending on the severity, they may decide to place you on topical or oral steroids for your rash. If you notice worsening redness, discharge, or pus, be sure to see your doctor.

SIOUXLAND LIFE

MEET THE DOC Dr. Mara Groom grew up in a military family, living in several states and countries before finding her way to Wartburg College.

While in Waverly, she fell in love with Iowa and decided to hang around indefinitely.

She went to medical school at Des Moines University and is now a first-year resident in family medicine. When she’s not at the hospital, Dr. Groom enjoys traveling, biking and shopping.

How do you prevent hemmorhoids if you sit all day? I work at a call center and we don’t get time to get up much.

Hemorrhoids occur when, for various causes, hemorrhoidal veins in the lower rectum lose support of the surrounding connective tissue. This loss of support allows the veins to dilate (get larger) during defecation. Recurrent distension of these veins can lead to pain, bleeding, itching and bulging of these veins.

While we commonly associate hemorrhoids with sitting for prolonged periods, a more important cause of hemorrhoids is excessive straining during bowel movements. This straining is most commonly due to constipation, so the most effective form of prevention is keeping your bowels soft. You can do this by drinking plenty of water, eating lots of fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains or taking a fiber supplement such as Metamucil if you don’t get enough fiber in your diet. Adding exercise to your daily routine also keeps the bowels moving.

If you develop hemorrhoids despite these measures, you can typically try conservative measures with Preparation H, warm baths, and increased fiber. If you are still in severe pain, your doctor may have to cut into them in the office or even refer you on to a surgeon for more extensive therapy! As with many problems we see in the office, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

WHAT KINDS OF HEALTH QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? Submit your questions and they may be used in this monthly feature. Write to Siouxland Life at 515 Pavonia St., Sioux City, Iowa 51102.

PARTING SHOT by

Bruce Miller

HOLD THE MOVIE

I HAVE A PHONE CALL

i

IT’S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE with life-or-death jobs are going to movies these days.

After several warnings to “turn off your cellphone,” I’m assuming only those with a critical need to be contacted are actually leaving their phones on to get the crucial “rush to the hospital” messages so important to their careers.

How else can you explain a theater lit like a birthday cake, cellphones everywhere suddenly piercing the darkness?

Two or three years ago, you might have seen one or two people answer a phone during a film. Now, it’s rare to see two or three who don’t.

Are movies really that boring? Or are some cellphone owners so needy they can’t be unplugged for two hours?

Texts, though, are only part of the problem.

I’ve been near moviegoers who openly play games DURING a film. They’ll talk on the phone, too, loudly enough to let you know that they don’t care how rude they appear.

Toddlers run up and down the aisles (at R-rated films, no less) while mom

jaws on the phone with one of her friends.

Neck pain must be a factor as well.

In the past, offenders used to hold their phones in their laps. Now, they bring them up to eye level like Lewis and Clark trying to map uncharted territory.

In California the problem has gotten so bad, guards can be found INSIDE theaters, making sure moviegoers don’t use their phones at all. They’ll shine a light on an offender and, if he gets too obnoxious, kick him out of the theater. Presumably the guards are watching for patrons trying to record the films. But mostly, they’re protecting the environment for others. Doctors, be damned.

I’ve been at screenings where you’ve had to check your cellphone at the door and, frankly, this might be a trend worth encouraging.

If you’ve got an important call coming through, don’t go to the movie.

If you can’t trust your children home alone, get a sitter.

If you don’t like movies that take time to unfold, pick a different one.

Because we’ve become slaves to social

media, folks with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts can’t wait until something is over to deliver an opinion.

There’s a selfie quest involved, too, and so many hashtags you’d think nothing stands alone.

The goal? Probably to be liked.

Because no one appears to be having face-to-face conversations, there’s a fear of looking like a failure. If someone is calling you, you’ve got to be popular.

If you’re talking to be people – during a movie – you must be the next best thing to homecoming king or queen.

If you really do have an emergency (and, yes, emergency room physicians do go to films), take the call in the lobby.

Sure, you’ll miss some of the action.

But everyone else won’t have to, too.

By jumping every time a phone buzzes, you’re no longer in control of your own life. But if you return the call after the movie, you’re in control.

Simple, right?

Now ponder the subject on your own and give me a call sometime.

If you can’t get me, just assume I’m at the movies and I don’t want to be interrupted.

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