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Tue

May

Mysteries at the museum Carter House focus is murder, mayhem

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/28/2019 - 08:21

Mary Lammers, LaVonne Auguston and David Burns are three Carter House Board Members responsible for this year’s Mysteries at the Museum theme. Burns is holding one of the props, a fake bloody knife.

Mary Lammers, LaVonne Auguston and David Burns are three Carter House Board Members responsible for this year’s Mysteries at the Museum theme. Burns is holding one of the props, a fake bloody knife.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

If you’re in the mood for a good mystery, the Carter House Museum in Elkader is the place to be. This year’s theme is “Mysteries at the Museum,” and it covers everything from unsolved murders to UFO sightings to a Wells Fargo heist
Board members credit their colleague Marge Costigan for inspiring this year’s special exibits. “She always has the most intriguing stories about Clayton County,” said Mary Lammers. “It just sort of grew from that.”

LaVonne Auguston gives a nod to Lammers, Barb Chandler and others for doing much of the research that was used to create storyboards about each mystery. The cards and a few props are placed in rooms throughout the 18-room Greek Revival mansion. Moving through the museum is both fun and informational.

An open house to celebrate the new season and the new theme will be held Friday, May 31, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served; there is a $10 admission fee.

Tue

May

New gallery Works of Elkader native going on display

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 07:18

“Golden Fields” is one of many works by American artist Gene Sharp to be featured in a new gallery opening this weekend in Elkader. Sharp was raised in Elkader but later lived and worked in Chicago.

“Golden Fields” is one of many works by American artist Gene Sharp to be featured in a new gallery opening this weekend in Elkader. Sharp was raised in Elkader but later lived and worked in Chicago.

Lucy Sharp and her son, Alan Szech, have renovated a space in downtown Elkader into a gallery for the works of Gene Sharp, Lucy’s father and Alan’s grandfather.

Lucy Sharp and her son, Alan Szech, have renovated a space in downtown Elkader into a gallery for the works of Gene Sharp, Lucy’s father and Alan’s grandfather.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

The works of an artist with ties to Clayton County have found a home here.

Gene Sharp, who was raised in Elkader and later lived and worked in Chicago, was a prolific artist who created an impressive body of work, especially watercolors. His works hang in Central State Bank, the Carter House Museum, and the Elkader Opera House.

Many of Gene’s pieces have been in storage since his death at age 79 in 2002. His daughter, Lucy, and grandson, Alan Szech, felt it was time to share Gene’s talent with others and have chosen to do so with a new gallery in downtown Elkader.

“This is really my mom’s passion,” Alan explained. “I just lit the fire and pushed it into her yard.”

The catalyzing event was Alan’s discovery in August 2018 of two watercolors sitting in his mother’s basement where they were getting damaged.

Tue

May

Top scholar Jenna Jansen is Central’s valedictorian

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/14/2019 - 09:51

Jenna Jansen is the top graduate for Central’s Class of 2019. She will speak at commencement Sunday at 2 p.m.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

The valedictorian for the Central Class of 2019 is Jenna Jansen, daughter of Jim and Joleen Jansen, rural Elkader. Jenna has attended Central since kindergarten, following in the footsteps of her two older siblings, Jessica and Jacob. Her family lives near Moto Mill on an acreage they share with their dog, Jill, and eight chickens.

It has been a Register tradition to feature Central’s top graduate. Here are answers Jenna gave to our questions.

What does it mean to you to have achieved the distinction of being named the top graduate of the Class of 2019?

It is a pretty special and rewarding feeling. My sister and brother are awesome academic role models. From them, I learned, success comes through motivation and hard work. I made it a plan to work as hard as I could throughout high school by putting the necessary work to achieve my goals.

What are your outside interests/hobbies?

Tue

May

New owners for Register Wisconsin group buys newspaper, shopper

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/07/2019 - 07:29

John Ingebritsen, left, MNC of Wisconin Regional Publisher is pictured with Gary Howe, left, who last week sold his papers, including the Clayton County Register, to the Wisconsin Media Group.

The Clayton County Register is one of four newspapers purchased last week by the Morris Newspaper Corporation (MNC) of Wisconsin.

The group also purchased The Trader and the Register’s three sister papers, the Courier Press in Prairie du Chien, North Iowa Times in McGregor, and the Guttenberg Press in Guttenberg.

The acquisition was finalized Tuesday, April 30, with Gary Howe, longtime owner of Mississippi Valley Printers and publisher of the four papers. MNC, a division of Morris Multimedia, Inc. headquartered in Savannah, GA took over operations Wednesday, May 1. Howe will remain at the company as general manager of the five publications for one year until his retirement.

Tue

Apr

Open season on art Students create scavenger hunt for public

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/30/2019 - 10:22

This is one of the pieces that will be included in Central’s community-wide art scavenger hunt.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Central art educator Cathy Recker has re-purposed a past event into a learning opportunity for her students that has a unique community component attached to it.

Many years ago, Recker participated in a scavenger hunt at an art museum. The event stayed with her and last fall, she started thinking about a similar experience in Elkader.

“I’m very keen on both getting my student work seen outside the school and creating business partnerships,” she said. “I pitched the idea (of a scavenger hunt) to my administrators and they loved it! The Elkader community has a strong interest in hunting, so I played off that for the theme ‘Elkader Art Hunt,’”

Hunting season is May 8 through May 19. For more on the project and how the community can participate, read on.

How are my students involved?

Tue

Apr

Register update Africa trip creates awareness in students

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 12:07

Kennedy Bulman is shown with some of the youngsters she met on a recent trip to Africa. Kennedy, a Central student, sponsors a child in Uganda.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

In the nearly four years since the Register reported on her first trip to Africa, Jamie Wingert has worked tirelessly to raise money for youngsters in the Ugandan village of Obwobwo, The kids who live there are displaced “from losing parents to AIDS, malaria and civil unrest.” The financial support of others—mostly from Northeast Iowa—has resulted in a community-to-community partnership that now helps 133 children (17 others await sponsorship). Programming takes place in a local school but Wingert would like to change that. Along with several Central students who have traveled to Africa with her, she hopes to raise $20,000 for a building that will serve as a combination cafeteria, study center, fellowship space and medical dispensary.

Tue

Apr

Lessons learned Garnavillo farmer reflects on China trip

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 09:26

The Great Wall of China was one of the cultural sites Erik Oberbroeckling visited during a recent market study tour of China. The Garnavillo farmer was one of 26 people on the tour.

The Great Wall of China was one of the cultural sites Erik Oberbroeckling visited during a recent market study tour of China. The Garnavillo farmer was one of 26 people on the tour.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

A Clayton County farmer who was part of a market study tour to China has grim news for Iowa soybean and pork producers.

“China does not want to be dependent on the USA to be a supplier of anything—end of story,” said Erik Oberbroeckling, a third generation farmer from Garnavillo. “They want to be self-sufficient and feed their own people. They won’t be able to do it but they’ll try, and while they’re trying beans will continue to pile up.”

Oberbroeckling was one of 26 people who participated in a recent 10-day market study tour sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau. As part of the tour, the group visited Chinese crop and livestock farms and met with users of U.S.-grown soybeans and other crops. They divided their time between Beijing and southeast China.

Tue

Apr

Art in the Alley Fund-raising for project continues

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/09/2019 - 09:44

Dubuque is one of several Iowa cities with art in its alleyways. A movement is underway in Elkader to launch a similar project that would beautify the alley from City Hall to Founders Park.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Efforts are currently underway to raise funds for a project that would transform the long stretch of alley from Elkader City Hall to Founder’s Park into a walking art gallery.

Art in the Alley, as the effort is known locally, has long been discussed by the Main Street Elkader Design Committee as a way to beautify the alley and draw more visitors to town. The project received seed money for Phase 1 in the form of a $10,000 matching grant from the Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation. The committee has raised about half the money it needs through fund-raising events like the recent Abbie’s Artwork show, private donations and downtown building owner investments.

Tue

Apr

Moving on Gibney gets ready for new a challenge

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/02/2019 - 08:07

Ann Gibney, who is retiring at the end of the school year after more than 30 years at Central as a faculty member, is the new Elkader Chamber Coordinator.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Ann Gibney is ready to finish one chapter and begin another.

A teacher for more than three decades, Anny will retire at the end of the school year. And soon after she says her final good-byes, she’ll start a new job as Elkader Chamber Coordinator.

The decision to pursue the Chamber position came several weeks after Ann announced her retirement.

“I saw the advertisement in the paper and I thought ‘I can do that,’” Ann said. “I love Elkader, and I know I’m going to enjoy promoting it. People may not realize that without the school and a strong business community, we wouldn’t have such a vibrant community. I’m excited for the opportunity to share that message with everyone.”

Tue

Mar

Conversations with Your Congresswoman Finkenauer makes infrastructure tour

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/26/2019 - 10:11

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Northeast Iowans last week had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer during an infrastructure-focused tour that also included small group meetings with constituents. In addition to a stop in her hometown of Dubuque and a tour of a storm-damaged school in Waterloo, Congresswoman Finkenauer spent an hour at the Guttenberg Public Library listening to concerns of residents there.

Finkenauer, who represents Iowa’s first congressional district, serves on the committee of transportation and infrastructure. Her “Conversations with Your Congresswoman” events are designed to highlight the important work being done and still needing to be done with flood mitigation and aging infrastructure.

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