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Tue

Dec

MFL MarMac Middle School Stu Crew gives back to school, communities

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/22/2015 - 11:04

The MFL MarMac Middle School Stu Crew purchased a TV announcement system for the McGregor Center this fall after several years of fundraising. Members of the Stu Crew include (front, left to right) Kaylee Bachman, Abby Schellhorn, Gabe McGeough, Kashton Mathis; (middle) Riley Whitney, Marlene Franzen, Max Havlicek, Braden Landt; (back) adviser Steph Jones, Megan Lang, Kira Reick, Max Koeller and Jesse Breuer. (Submitted photos)

Prior to the Holiday Train event, students in the McGregor Center brought in non-perishable food items to donate to the Clayton County Food Shelf. For each item donated, students were able to fill out a raffle ticket and enter a drawing for a new set of Dr. Dre Beats, iTunes gift cards and candy canes, all purchased and donated by the Stu Crew. Logan Brown (second from left) won the Beats, while Ben Miene, Annie Heins and Anabel Pagaza won the iTunes cards.

The Stu Crew sponsors a tree at McGregor’s Festival of Trees each year. This year’s theme was “Why Fit in When You Were Born to Stand Out.” Stu Crew members standing with the tree include (left to right) Marlene Franzen, Kira Reick, Riley Whitney, Jesse Breuer, Max Havlicek, Braden Landt and Max Koeller.

In mid-November, all students in the building participated in the annual Holiday Cash and Coin Drive. Homerooms were each given the goal of raising $50, and those who met the goal were able to play in a dodgeball tournament. Eleven of the 16 homerooms met the goal, and as a building, just shy of $850 was raised. The funds were divided across three different local causes: Shepherd of the Hills Holiday Shop, Angels Helping Angels and the Samson Boylen Scholarship Fund. Here, the Stu Crew shows the items they purchased for Shepherd of the Hills.

The MFL MarMac Middle School Stu Crew has had a busy holiday season already and has found many ways to bring the holiday spirit to the McGregor Center and give back to area communities at the same time.

The first exciting addition to the building was a TV announcement system in the main hallway. This TV displays a slideshow with updates, event and class information and pictures of students. For the past several years, the Stu Crew has been fundraising for this item and was finally able to purchase and install it this fall. All of the staff members are able to add their own slides to the presentation, making it a truly collaborative project.

Tue

Dec

McGregor Planning and Zoning Board recommends no zoning change for condos

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/15/2015 - 12:45

Suggests city, Trilogy work together to develop mixed use plan

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

The McGregor Planning and Zoning Board denied the request by Trilogy Partners, LLC—which owns the former Holiday Shores Motel property—to change the zoning from W1 waterfront commercial to W2 mixed use in order to construct condominiums at the location. The board also recommended that the city council, which has final say on the matter, work with Trilogy Partners to develop plans for mixed use, to include condo ownership and short-term lodging.

Tue

Dec

Cookie making a ‘large’ Christmas tradition

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/15/2015 - 12:44

Addison Schlitter, Mattie Hallberg and Ryan Hallberg enjoy making and decorating cookies, which is a big Christmas tradition in the Hallberg family. (Submitted photo)

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Making cookies is a Christmas tradition for many families, as they gather to pass along recipes and watch the next generation learn the messy joy of smearing frosting and sprinkles on freshly-baked treats.

Janet Hallberg’s family is no different.

“It’s something my mom and I have always done, for as long as I can remember,” said Janet of holiday baking. “We lived in the country, and we’d make cookies to give to the mailman and the Schwan’s guy—people you see every week. Every year, it seems to have gotten bigger and bigger.”

Tue

Dec

Convention sparks school board interest

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/15/2015 - 12:42

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Last month, four members of the MFL MarMac school board, along with superintendent Dale Crozier, attended the annual convention of the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB). The attendees, which included Jonathon Moser, Tonya Meyer, Collin Stubbs and Sharon Greener, went to special sessions focusing on topics like school finance, administrator evaluations and collecting school data. While helpful, several sessions regarding a project-based learning approach and a model of a “classroom of the future” sparked the most interest as attendees discussed their experiences at the Dec. 14 school board meeting.

Tue

Dec

Taking learning to another dimension

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 12:48

MFL MarMac senior Brayde Miller shows off the Rubik’s Cube pieces he’s developing with the high school’s 3D printer. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

The printing process begins on the students’ personal MacBook laptops, explained senior Collin Ostert (shown here). Through a website called Tinkercad, students use a computer aided design (CAD) program to develop 3D digital models.

On the CAD program, students use different shapes to form the basis of a design. The shapes can then be grouped together and manipulated to create the desired object.

Before printing occurs, students first view the model in a computer program that connects to the Maker Bot 3D printer. From there, the information about the object is sent to the printer.

MFL MarMac students in the high school’s industrial education classes first began using a 3D printer last fall. Since then, it’s become a unique and engaging resource.

Printing time varies depending on the size of the object. A small piece of student Brayde Miller’s Rubik’s Cube (shown here) takes one hour and 20 minutes. One of the pencil holders a student created in the spring took several days.

Once completed, the pieces feel like plastic. The objects are not completely solid, but instead have a 10 percent infill, which refers to the structure inside the object. It resembles a honeycomb or box-like pattern.

Also referred to as additive manufacturing, 3D printing involves creating a three-dimensional, solid object from a digital model. Through an additive process, objects are formed as a printer continually distributes thin, horizontal layers of a material, one on top of the other, until the desired object is complete. Students are currently creating ornaments for every MFL MarMac kindergartner.

Teacher Joe Milewsky said 3D printing has opened students’ eyes to new ideas and possible careers.

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Since 3D printing was first developed in the 1980s, the technology has come a long way, allowing people to create product prototypes, machine parts, prosthetics, art and more. At MFL MarMac, it’s become a unique and engaging resource in the high school’s industrial technology classes.

Also referred to as additive manufacturing, 3D printing involves creating a three-dimensional, solid object from a digital model. Through an additive process, objects are formed as a printer continually distributes thin, horizontal layers of a material, one on top of the other, until the desired object is complete. This is unlike the single-layer, two-dimensional images formed with regular desktop printers.

Tue

Dec

Artistic activities

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 12:40

Throughout October, MFL MarMac high school art students painted around a half-dozen interactive activities on the elementary playground, including this rocket ship hopscotch game. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

High school art students make recess more fun for kids

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Recess got a little more inventive for MFL MarMac elementary students this fall, as the blacktop in their playground area transformed into a colorful network of games and activities, thanks to two high school art classes.

Art teacher Michelle Meyer said elementary teacher Heidi Meyer approached her with the idea earlier in the school year. Throughout October, the high school students in Meyer’s drawing and painting classes made the idea a reality, taking class time to paint around half a dozen activities.

“My art students and I looked into a variety of interactive games that the elementary students would be interested in doing,” Meyer explained.

Tue

Dec

Monona Council discusses proposed lot purchase for new Family Dentistry office

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/08/2015 - 12:30

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Monday night, the Monona Council discussed the proposed purchase and sale agreement of a city lot, located behind Fisk’s Farm and Home and the Davis Street Car Wash, for construction of a new Family Dentistry Associates of Monona office.

“We’re cramped for space a lot of the time in terms of treatment rooms and parking,” noted Dr. Mark Fohey of the current office at 101 Franklin St.

Fohey said expanding the current office was considered, but ultimately not feasible.

Tue

Dec

Zoning change requested to build condos on former Holiday Shores property

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/01/2015 - 11:09

Since the Holiday Shores Motel was demolished in September, a banner calling for “no condos” has appeared sporadically next to the riverfront property. After months of speculation about the site, Trilogy Partners, LLC, who purchased the property in June, appeared before the McGregor Planning and Zoning Board Nov. 30 to request a zoning change in order to build condominiums at the location. (Photo by Audrey Posten)

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

After months of speculation, Trilogy Partners, LLC, who purchased the Holiday Shores Motel property in June, appeared before the McGregor Planning and Zoning Board Nov. 30 to request a zoning change in order to build condominiums at the location.

A mainstay on the McGregor riverfront since the 1960s, the motel was demolished in early September, after being closed all summer.

Tue

Dec

Holiday Train chugs into Marquette Dec. 8

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/01/2015 - 11:08

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will once again bring holiday cheer to the area as it stops in Marquette, at the marina parking lot, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 5:05 p.m. (NIT file photo)

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will once again bring holiday cheer to the area as it stops in Marquette, at the marina parking lot, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 5:05 p.m.

Now in its 17th year, the Holiday Train is adorned with thousands of lights depicting holiday scenes on 14 rail cars, one of which turns into a stage for musical performances.

However, putting on a dazzling light display is just half of the Holiday Train equation, as attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item or monetary donation as admission. Since 1999, the train, which stops in 150 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada each year, has raised nearly $9.5 million and collected 3.3 million pounds of food.

Tue

Nov

Festival of Trees sets the holiday mood

Submitted by admin on Tue, 11/24/2015 - 11:20

Let the fifth annual Festival of Trees get you in the holiday spirit. Held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, at the McGregor’s Landing Event Center, the event offers dozens of colorfully-decorated trees, holiday music, food and crafts, all for a good cause. (NIT file photos)

One activity kids can enjoy at the Festival of Trees is gingerbread house-making.

“There’s a lot of music this year,” noted Festival of Trees committee member Rogeta Halvorson. Featured performers include Santa’s Combo, The Ruckus Band, Victorian Carolers, Diane’s Aunts, a barbershop quartet and MFL MarMac fourth graders. Attendees can also take part in “carol-aoke,” a Christmas carol version of karaoke.

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Let the fifth annual Festival of Trees get you in the holiday spirit. Held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, at the McGregor’s Landing Event Center, the event offers dozens of colorfully-decorated trees, holiday music, food and crafts, all for a good cause.

Festivities kick off Friday, at 3 p.m., when attendees can begin viewing trees. A half-dozen vendor booths will be set up offering crafts and other gifts, as well.

Fifty trees will be on display throughout the weekend, all lovingly decorated by individuals, businesses and organizations from area communities. Many are like works of art, noted Rogeta Halvorson, a Festival of Trees committee member.

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