Welcome
We’d like to give a warm welcome to our newest Winterset Citizen sponsor, the Winterset Cidery! Gary & Debbie Heck opened the Winterset Cidery in May of 2016 after relocating to our community from Minneapolis. The Cidery is the first of its kind in Iowa. It is located north of Winterset on Highway 169 adjacent to an apple orchard with over 30 varieties of heirloom, cider, and dessert apple trees. The spacious tasting room at the Cidery is comfortable and informal with vaulted ceilings and wood floors, or you might enjoy the view of the orchard and country side from the roomy outside deck. The Cidery is a great location to enjoy a taste of the heartland with a few of your friends or for gatherings and events. The Winterset Cider will re-open for the season on Friday, May 11th, and will host live music by Zachary Freedom with food by Up in Smoke on Saturday, May 12th, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Check them out at the website or follow their Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all of their happenings this summer.
This Weekend
The Iowa Theater will host an encore run of I Can Only Imagine (PG) this weekend. This film consistently sold out the theater during its first run at The Iowa so if you didn’t catch it the first time, you have five more chances. On Wednesday, May 9th, the classic flick celebrating mothers, daughters and female relationships, Steel Magnolias (PG), will have a turn on the big screen. The Iowa is offering a buy one ticket and get one free deal so bring your mother (or daughter) and celebrate Mother’s Day a bit early.
Madison County Conservation is partnering with local birding enthusiast, Sharon Bauer, for a morning Warbler Walk on Saturday, May 5, at 9:00 am. The outing will focus on the colorful warblers visiting during their spring migration. This event is open to people of all ages and skill levels. Binoculars are recommended for this event as the warblers like to hang out in the tree tops. Meet at the shelter inside Middle River Park at 9:00 am. No registration is necessary.
On Saturday, May 5th from 10:30 – 11:30 am, the Winterset Public Library for a fun and interactive class about essential oils class geared for kids. Kids will explore different feelings using oils and the characters from the movie Inside Out!! Brooke Miller will be leading this kid-friendly, fun, fast, and interactive class. Space is limited to 10 kids and 10 parents/caregivers, and both adult and child must be registered for class. Registration is required – online or call 515-462-1731.
Farmers & Merchants State Bank is offering a free community shred day on Saturday, May 5th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. If you’ve got some documents that you’re ready to get rid of, this is a secure way to do so. This is at the FMSB Motor Bank location (across from Hy-Vee), not the main bank on the square.
If you’re interested in the art of glass-making and are looking for a way to try it out, contact Robin Paul at Madhaus gallery and sign up for an appointment at the Student’s Choice Glass Piece event on Sunday, May 6th. With the help of an instructor, participants can make an item of their choice such as a bird, paperweight, shamrock, wine stopper, or heart. This event requires a scheduled appointment in advance (about 30 minutes). To schedule your time, please contact Robin at 515.707.4309. Cost is $50 per person.
On Sunday, May 6th, the Madison County Historical Society will start their annual meeting with a program titled George Washington Carver: Local Influences. It will include a video produced by the National Park Service’s George Washington Carver National Landmark in Diamond, Missouri for an overview of Carver’s life and accomplishments. Then Director Jared McDonald will follow with his visual presentation of locations and people who Carver encountered in Winterset and Madison County. The program is free and open to the public and will be held at the historical museum at 1:00 pm. Doors will open at 12:30. Following the program and refreshments, Society members will conduct their annual business meeting. Memberships to the Madison County Historical Society may be purchased at the event.
Much has been written about George Washington Carver. His life was one of discovery, science, art, and service to his fellow man. He’s most often associated with his over 300 uses of the peanut that helped diversify farming in the South. He taught over 40 years at Tuskegee University in Alabama and also carried his message beyond the college walls with brochures, traveling exhibits, and lectures throughout the world. But he was also a deeply religious humanitarian who felt his earthly mission from God was to serve the fellow members of his race. Carver’s time in Winterset, about two years while he was in his mid-twenties, is often only a paragraph to a page or two in the many books written about his life. But local research from his letters to Madison County acquaintances, historic maps, and local newspapers at that time have made the facts come together in a more cohesive story of his years here.
Read the end of today’s post for more information about how our community will be celebrating the life of George Washington Carver this year.
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is holding a county-wide food drive through May 11th. In Winterset, food can be taken to the ISU Extension office at 117 N John Wayne Drive. There are also drop-off locations in Earlham and St. Charles.
Coming Soon
On Tuesday, May 8th, be prepared to see lots of extra helping hands busy at work in our community. Husky Help Day is an annual day of service performed by the graduating Senior class at Winterset High School. These students will be hard at work on Tuesday, so if you see a group of them, say “Hi!,” and give them a pat on the back.
One hundred years ago, Madison County was involved in World War I, with many of our men in the famed Rainbow (42nd) Division in France. Several lost their lives in a single event in May, 1918. Linda Griffith Smith will present an overview of WWI events related to Madison County—both on the war front and those left behind on the home front—on Tuesday, May 8th at 6:30 pm at the Winterset Public Library. This event is free and open to the public and registration is required.
Wellness Wednesdays in Winterset is a series of fun and informational, community-wide weekly programming related to health and wellness opportunities in our community and will take place May through October. All events are free and open to the public. Every second Wednesday is “Lunch & Learn”. On Wednesday, May 9th, the Winterset Public Library will host Stop the Bleed from 12:00 to 1:00 pm.
Stop the Bleed is a program that was developed by the American College of Surgeons following the mass shooting event at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Studies have shown that immediate bleeding control greatly increases a victim’s survival rate. This training is offered to the general public, and is tailored to those with little to no healthcare experience. Training is conducted by a certified instructor, with easy to learn visuals and physical demonstrations. This is a great opportunity to learn how to potentially save a life in an emergency situation!
See the “Wellness Wednesdays in Winterset” Facebook page for a complete list of all weekly, community activities.
Special Recognition
Piece Works Quilt Shop is garnering some national attention for themselves and Winterset. Piece Works has been chosen as a Top Ten Quilt Shop by Quilt Sampler magazine. Joyce Franklin, shop owner, and Tony Jacobson, manager, have poured themselves into the task of making Piece Works a destination shop for travelers and quilters, and we’re so proud of Piece Works for the way the represent Winterset to the quilting community!
Finally
The theme for the 2018 Covered Bridge Festival has been designated as Dream Big Dreams in honor of George Washington Carver and his connection to Winterset. This year marks the convergence of several anniversaries relating to Carver and Winterset: the 30th anniversary of the George W. Carver Park in Winterset (1988), the 60th anniversary of the Winterset Art Center (1958), the 75th anniversary of the George Washington Carver National Monument (1943), and the 130th anniversary of George W. Carver’s arrival in Winterset (1888).
IPTV has released a documentary titled George Washington Carver: an Uncommon Life. In it Paxton Williams, associate producer, tells about the Winterset families who helped and encouraged Carver to reach his dream of an education. Winterset’s Carver Park and Dream Big Dreams mural are featured in the film. The IPTV documentary will be shown and Paxton Williams will be performing at the Iowa Theater during Covered Bridge Festival.
Madison County organizers have been brainstorming some new ideas to celebrate the life and legacy of George Washington Carver that go beyond the Dream Big Dreams mural in our Carver Park.
In partnership with the National Park Service, an explorer booklet for kids has been developed. On May 6th, the Madison County Historical Society is presenting a program about Winterset’s influence on Carver with a new exhibit featuring letters he wrote to the museum from Tuskegee. (That story was earlier in this post.)
The Winterset Fire Department has installed a new plaque in Carver Park.
The ISU Extension is facilitating a “Footsteps of Carver” summer camp for 4th-6th graders with many partners volunteering their expertise. Download a pdf of the registration form here.
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
Ben Franklin
Blanchard Family Dentistry
Bridges Financial Associates
Covered Bridge Realty
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
McGowen, Hurst, Clark & Smith, P.C.
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 Cidery
Winterset Optimist Club
Winterset Parks & Recreation Department
Subscribe to The Winterset Citizen
