MCED holds annual celebration
MCED Executive Director Rogeta Halvorson presented Jim Langhus with the 2021 Monona Community Service Award for his decades-long involvement with the Monona Butterfly Garden and Trail and other community projects. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Ivan Hackman accepted an 80-year anniversary plaque for Black Hills Energy.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
Monona Chamber and Economic Development, Inc. (MCED) held its third annual dinner and awards celebration on Oct. 19, at Center Street Bar ‘n Grill in Monona. The event celebrated milestone anniversaries for local businesses and recognized the recipient of the 2021 Monona Community Service Award.
“I want to thank everyone for their support of me, our chamber, our community and our fabulous businesses,” said MCED Executive Director Rogeta Halvorson. “It takes all of us working together.”
“It’s all about Monona, working together as friends and neighbors to support and grow this place, to keep getting bigger and better,” added MCED Board President Linda Knockel.
Knockel said the chamber’s mission is to bring economic growth and vitality to Monona and to support the civic, social and natural resources of the surrounding area. Long-term objectives include revitalizing downtown, enriching business and population growth, attracting new businesses and industries, promoting travel and tourism and increasing membership and participation in Monona.
Halvorson was most excited about Monona’s growth in the tourism sector.
“Who would’ve thought it would ever come to Monona? But, in the past two years, we’ve added three Airbnbs and have one or two more that may be popping up. Since I came on board, we started promoting the Driftless Area more. It’s such a draw,” she shared. “We need to attract more tourists and get them into our town, because that’s new money and we can help our businesses that way.”
Expanding Monona’s recreational opportunities has helped too. Halvorson said the city is currently expanding the Butterfly Trail. A playground project at Gateway Park has also been completed, and she just received a grant to hard surface the RV sites at Gateway Park and add an ADA parking space.
“That’s another way we can attract more people to our area,” Halvorson stated. “We’re also working on housing.”
The 2021 Monona Community Service Award tied into the city’s recreational offerings, going to Jim Langhus, a decades-long community volunteer and head of the Butterfly Garden and Trail Committee for 21 years.
“This city-wide recognition program is for somebody who goes above and beyond and really makes changes in our town,” said Halvorson. “[Langhus] enjoys helping the community and really brought a lot of new recreational things to town that’s helped us grow.”
While accepting the award, Langhus was quick to deflect all the credit, however.
“I’ve had some pretty dedicated volunteers to help me. It’s not a one-man show,” he stated. “We continue to grow, but we don’t grow because of ourselves. We grow because of you. You enjoy it and keep us moving. The city of Monona bought into the project, and you, Rogeta, have written a lot of grants to help do this.”
“It’s wonderful to be part of something bigger,” Langhus added. “It just seems to grow.”
In addition to the community service award, several businesses were also recognized for decade anniversaries.
That included:
•10 years: Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Services
•25 years: Franklin Street Liquor Store and Monona Veterinary Hospital
•40 years: Alliant Energy and M’s Machine and Mfg.
•50 years: Suhdron Fabrics
•60 years: Community Insurance of Iowa and MercyOne Elkader Medical Center
•80 years: Black Hills Energy
