Have you noticed the leaves starting to turn colors and fall? Believe it or not, we are just two months away from the 48th Annual Covered Bridge Festival, planned for October 14th and 15th, 2017. This year’s theme, celebrating our community’s various connections to stage and screen, as well as the recent re-opening of The Iowa Theater, is “Cinematic Madison County.” The headline attraction of the two-day event will be Saturday and Sunday performances by Winterset native Sarah (Schmitt) Zahn, daughter of Kylon and Katie Schmitt who played “Young Carolyn” in the movie The Bridges of Madison County. Sarah is a singer and actor known for her work with Servant Stage Company in Lancaster, PA, Philadelphia’s Media theatre and Mount Washington Valley Theater in New Hampshire. Her other film credits include Limitless, The Last Airbender, and P.S. I love You.
Isn’t that Covered Bridge Festival poster beautiful? It’s the work of Carol Bassett of Luminosity Design, who is also working on artwork for the 2017 festival coin, featuring the theater. Rebecca Fons is coordinating several film-themed activities during the festival, including “spot-the-star” (watch for strolling actors portraying the likes of John Wayne, a “monument’s man,” Robert and Francesca, the preacher from “Cold Turkey,” etc.), and a panel discussion with Sarah Zahn and other locals about the process of filming The Bridges of Madison County in Winterset and surrounding areas (if you weren’t here for that about twenty years ago, can you imagine what it was like to have Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep hanging out uptown??). She is also coordinating a short-film contest, open to all ages, to highlight the covered bridges. Entries must be received by September 29th. Films can be submitted here. Here are the details:
I look forward to bringing you more details as the schedule for this great annual event takes shape.
This Weekend
This evening, August 17, learn all about the upcoming solar eclipse in a free presentation by Craig Milligan at the Winterset Library at 6:30 pm.
Friday, August 18 is Meet the Team Night at McGaffin Field at Winterset High School. Everyone is invited to come out and meet the Huskies! The quarterback club will serve a meal at 5:00 pm, and introductions of all fall activity participants will begin at 6:00. Be there to meet the football, volleyball and dance teams, plus marching band, cheerleaders, and more. GO HUSKIES!
The annual Doggie Dip will also be held this Friday, August 18th, with two time slots depending on your dog’s size. Small dogs under 30 pounds can swim from 6:30 to 7:15 pm, and dogs 31 pounds and up can swim from 7:30 to 8:15 pm. The fee is $3.00 per dog and $3.00 per person. Proceeds of the event will go to the Winterset Dog Park Project. The Aquatic Center will close for public swimming for the season at 5:00 pm on Friday.
Tony Jacobson is offering several great quilting classes at Piece Works Quilt Shop this fall, starting with “We’ve Got Spirt” this Saturday, August 19th. Contact him at 515-493-1121 to sign up.
Students in 2nd-4th grade are invited to participate in Youth Fall Tennis Fun on August 22, 24, 29 and 31 from 3:30 to 4:30 at the City Tennis Courts. The fee is $15.00. Basic skills are taught using fun drills and tennis games. Balls and racquets are provided. Registration ends August 19.
Youth Flag Football will be start on August 28th and run through mid-October at Martin Marietta Fields. Boys and girls in 2nd-4th grade (2017/18 school year) can participate for a fee of $20.00. Participants are divided into teams with adult volunteer coaches. Games held primarily Monday evenings, with practice times determined by the coaches. Registration ends August 18. Click to register online for either of these WPRD activities, or call 515-462-3258.
Re:home is open this weekend starting today (Thursday) from 11:00 to 7:00, Friday from 10:00 to 6:00, and Saturday from 9:00 to 5:00.
And here’s this weekend’s lineup at The Iowa Theater:
Coming Soon
Join the spectators at the Great American Solar Eclipse Party at the Winterset Library on August 21st.
Mum season at Groth’s Gardens & Greenhouses starts on Monday, August 21st at 9:00 am! Check out www.grothsgardens.com for more information on their fall season offerings and hours.
Union State Bank’s “GO Club” presents “Discover Panama” featuring Panama City, Gamboa & Playa Blanca, February 23 – March 1, 2018. Interested parties are invited to attend a Travel Show on August 23 at 5:00 pm at the USB Community Center. Call Teri at 515-462-2161 for more information or to RSVP.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a Master Gardener? Now is your chance to find out! Master Gardeners are passionate about serving their communities and sharing gardening best practices. They are individuals who have taken the Master Gardener training provided by Iowa State Extension and Outreach, and who share their time and expertise as volunteers in community gardens, city beautification projects, and farmers markets (to name a few). To become a Master Gardener in 2017, you must apply online by August 25th, submit and pass the background check and pay $195 for the course fee. Training takes place between September 12th and November 14th at various locations around Madison County and in Ames at ISU, and includes a wide variety of face-to-face learning opportunities, workshops, tours, site visits, volunteering, and more. If you’re curious, act fast! There are only a few spots remaining. Click here to download the complete Steps to Become a Master Gardener, and contact RoxAnn Rhoads, Madison County Coordinator, at 515-462-2510.
The Winterset Kiwanis Club will be serving a Pancake Breakfast at the American Legion Hall on Saturday, August 26th from 7:00 to 11:00 am. They’ll be serving all-you-can-eat pancakes, fried or scrambled eggs, sausage, orange juice, milk and coffee, just $6.00 each. Funds go to support youth projects and causes.
Madhaus Gallery invites you to join them on Saturday, August 26th from 10:00 to 4:00 and Sunday, the 27th from 9:00 to noon for a RAKU pottery event. Guest artists Mark Lusard and Chad Jerzak are back in Iowa and will be there firing on both days. Come and select your piece, glaze it, and watch it being fired. More pieces will be available for additional cost. To register, call or e-mail Robin at 515.707.4309 or glassideas@mchsi.com. Cost is $55 per person.
Painting of the Madison County Freedom Rock, located on the grounds of the John Wayne Birthplace & Museum, is now underway. The dedication of the rock will be Saturday, August 26th at 11:00 am, and the public is invited to attend. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy! Donations are still being accepted for this project. Contact Rod Beem at rowdy0079@aol.com for more information.
Farmers & Merchants State Bank will host their annual Customer Appreciation Lunch on Friday, September 1st from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
HCI Hospice invites anyone who is coping with grief to attend a free 8-week support group beginning in September.
Finally…
Thank you to the Madison County Women’s Giving Circle, who just made their second quarter donation for 2017 to Bring Love Ministries, a new local non-profit organization spearheaded by Liz Hensley in conjunction with CRISP to help meet the needs of families impacted by foster care and adoption. Through this program, foster and adoptive parents will have access to such resources as a free clothing closet, meals, and more. Surrounding foster and adoptive families with community support can help eliminate the stress and strain on families that can lead to tragic outcomes for kids. This second quarter donation of $5,550 was comprised of checks for $50 each from 107 women, with total funds given at nearly $91,000 in the program’s sixth year.
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
The Iowa Theater
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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