I’ll leave the details of the situation to the major news outlets, as the story has yet to completely unfold. You can read a recent update about it here.
What I will talk about is what’s next. On April 17th, a group of county-wide stakeholders met in Madison County to discuss rebuilding. The consensus is “yes.” The bridge must be rebuilt.
Cedar Bridge was unique in that it was an exact replication of the original bridge. It was the only bridge still open to vehicle traffic and a favorite rental location for weddings and parties. Our county recently received an Iowa Scenic Byways designation, and Cedar Bridge is included as one of the sites. It is also included in future plans connecting the Cedar Lake Recreation Area trailways with Jurgenson Bridge. Official resolutions of support to rebuild Cedar Bridge are pending from these organizations: Madison County Supervisors, Madison County Covered Bridge Preservation Association, Madison County Conservation Board, Madison County Development Group, Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Madison County Historical Society, Covered Bridges Scenic Byways Council, Madison County Historic Preservation Commission, and the City of Winterset.
According to County Engineer Todd Hagan, the cost to rebuild the bridge in 2003 was $576,000. Hagan was asked to put together a cost estimate for rebuilding Cedar Bridge. The aforementioned group of stakeholders is also actively engaged in gathering information about covered bridge insurance options and the cost to update surveillance cameras with new technology.
If you want to help, fundraising for Cedar Bridge is now underway! A Facebook page called Rebuild Cedar Bridge has been created, and more details will be posted there as they develop. Information will also be shared on www.madisoncountyhistory.net, the official website for the Madison County Historic Preservation Commission. Both of those sites contain a “Donate” button for online donations by PayPal or credit card, and donations are also being taken at Union State Bank, Farmers & Merchants State Bank, and American State Bank. Checks can be made out to Rebuild Cedar Bridge and delivered to any of those locations. If you have questions, contact rebuildcedarbridge@gmail.com.
This Weekend
This Saturday is Earth Day, and the Winterset Public Library is teaming up with the Madison County Master Gardeners for this Little Growers & Master Gardeners event:
Also on Saturday, Earth Day, all are invited to take a Walk in the Park with For Lands Sake!, led by Sandy Thompson. Meet at the Arbor shelter at 11:00 am and hike with the group up to Clark Tower and back (by 1:00 pm). The focus of the walk will be on enjoying the spring wildflower treasures, pollinators, birds, nature, and community. If you are not yet familiar with this organization, check them out on Facebook at the link above. Their mission is to provide a welcoming group for people in Madison County and beyond who are interested in land stewardship, and they are interested in sharing experience, expertise, and landscapes; educating and mentoring the community, inspiring action toward living a land ethic, and improving our land, water, and air.
Speaking of gardening, remember that Groth’s Gardens & Greenhouses opened last weekend for the season at 2451 Cumming Road. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sundays from Noon to 4:00.
Re:home is open this weekend for “Part 2” of their April sale. Today they’ll be open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
1st Avenue Collective will offer an Embossed Earrings Class on Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Create three pairs of beautiful embossed copper earrings in just a couple of hours. You’ll learn how to use die cutters, embossing folders, and how to apply colorful patinas to the metal. No prior jewelry experience needed, just a desire to create. Use of tools and materials are included in the class fee of $45.00. Instructors are Gina Crow & Sandra Geronimo. Pre-registration is required. Call (515)505-4396 or stop by 1st Avenue Collective to reserve your space.
This Arashi Shibori Scarf Making class is also being offered at the the Winterset Art Center on Sunday, with Robin Paul of Madhaus Gallery:
On Saturday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, Covered Bridges Winery will have live music by Kiefer Brandt, with Barbecue by Up in Smoke available from 6:30 to 8:30. $5 cover at the door.
Coming Soon
Attention: Tweens, teens, and their caregivers: Sarah Nolte, Sexual Abuse Specialist with the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center, will discuss sexual assault prevention and consent issues in a safe environment, Winterset Public Library, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on Monday, April 24th. Dinner will be provided. Thank you to all who help keep our citizens safe and informed! Find out how you can assist with child abuse awareness and prevention efforts, also a priority during April, at http://www.familyresourcelink.org. Among many other things, they are planning a Pizza4Prevention event from 5:00 to 9:00 pm on April 24th from 5:00 to 9:00 at Pizza Ranch.
Parents of young children, don’t miss this:
Sunday, April 30th, 4:00 to 6:00 pm, meet Linzee McCray, author and guest curator at the Iowa Quilt Museum. The exhibition Art Quilts of the Midwest showcases 21 works of art that exemplify a region’s influence on the innovative artists who choose this layered, stitched textile as their form of personal expression. The exhibition is based on a book of the same name, and author Linzee Kull McCray will provide a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse into creating both, from her interest in exploring how an artist’s surroundings may influence her art, to jurying the nearly 100 artists who applied to be included in the book, to stories of the sources of inspiration and techniques of the selected artists. McCray’s work appears in American Patchwork and Quilting, Quilt Sampler, on the Etsy blog, in UPPERCASE magazine, in O: The Oprah Magazine, and others. Most recently, she is the author of Feed Sacks: The Colourful History of a Frugal Fabric. Visit http://iowaquiltmuseum.org to purchase tickets.
The John Wayne 5K Run/Walk, an favorite event of the John Wayne Birthday Celebration weekend, will take place on Saturday, May 27th at 9:00 am. The race begins and ends on the corner of the John Wayne Museum. Registration is from 7:30 to 8:45 am. Register in advance by April 30th for just $25! Register online here, or click to download a race brochure/paper registration form. This event his hosted by the Winterset Rotary Club and benefits C.R.I.S.P., the Rotary Scholarship Fund, and Winterset Skate Park.
On Sunday, May 7 at 1:00 pm at the Madison County Historical Museum, the annual meeting of the Madison County Historical Society will begin with a program titled “Madison County in World War I” by historian Darrek Orwig. The program is free and open to the public. Nearly a century ago, soldiers from Madison County participated in the watershed moment of the twentieth century: World War I. The Iowa National Guard company based out of Winterset, Company A of the 168th Infantry, would be one of the first American units to arrive “over there” in France as part of the famous 42nd “Rainbow” Division. Learn about their experiences in the “war to end all wars” through artifacts, eye-witness accounts, historic images, artwork, and period motion picture footage. A special exhibit of WWI items related to Madison County residents will be on display. Doors will open at 12:30 pm so that the military exhibits throughout the museum will be available for viewing. Speaker Darrek Orwig holds a history degree from Iowa State University and a Master of Arts in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. A portion of his research for this book was done in the Madison County Historical Museum. Following the program, Society members will conduct their annual business meeting. Memberships may be purchased at the event.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2017 Winterset Wine Walk, May 13th (Mother’s Day weekend). From 4:00 to 7:30 pm, join the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, downtown Winterset merchants and area wineries for shopping, wine sampling, food pairings, live music, and more. For just $15.00 you can have a limited-edition, logoed wine glass for sampling and a $5.00 coupon towards the purchase of a bottle of wine from one of the featured wineries. Tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce office at 73 Jefferson Street, or purchase them online right here.
Finally…
Congratulations to the John Wayne Birthplace & Museum on the Iowa House of Representatives Resolution #20, which recognizes the national significance of John Wayne’s accomplishments and designates May 26 as John Wayne Day in Iowa. It was unanimously adopted.
Also, as evidenced by our community’s quick response to rebuilding Cedar Bridge, we take our historic preservation very seriously in Madison County! Here’s a peek inside another great preservation and renovation effort underway at the Iowa Theater, shared by Marianne Fons from the balcony. Last week’s post on The Winterset Citizen incorrectly described Marianne and Rebecca as co-owners of the theater, when in reality, they are directors of a non-profit. Having received its 501c3 non-profit designation in late January, the Iowa Theater now belongs to us — the community! I’m looking forward to the Grand Reopening celebration on May 28th.
That’s all for now. Thank you for reading The Winterset Citizen! All community announcements are provided at no charge, courtesy of the following sponsors:
American State Bank
Anchored Walls
Angel Wings & CT
Blanchard Family Dentistry
Bridges Financial Associates
Covered Bridge Realty
Daniel Evans, Edward Jones
Farmers & Merchants State Bank
Farm Bureau FS, Scot Clark
Groth’s Gardens & Greenhouses
Homefront Real Estate
Johnson Insurance
Lowe Chiropractic Clinic
Madhaus Gallery
Madison County Health Care System
Madison County Historical Society
Madison County ISU Extension & Outreach
McDonald Tree Service
Medicap Pharmacy
Midwest Heritage Bank
Montross Pharmacy
Pine Creek Ltd.
re:home
Rusty Stars Alpacas
State Farm, Charlotte Speer
Union State Bank
Village Bootery
White Lions Bed & Breakfast
Winterset Ballet & Dance Studio
Winterset Optimist Club
Winterset Parks & Recreation Department
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