Et Cetera

130 young adults will be graduating from the AmeriCorps NCCC program on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at the North Central Campus. The graduation ceremony begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. and is being held at Vinton-Shellsburg High School Auditorium in Vinton. Kim Mansaray, chief program officer and deputy chief of staff at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency which administers the AmeriCorps NCCC program, is the guest speaker.

We have had a tour group come to town today. About a dozen ladies from the Welcome Club of Cedar Rapids are spending the afternoon in Vinton. They went to the 5th Street Koffee Haus for lunch, drove around to see the chainsaw carvings and toured the IBSSS. They ended their day shopping. 

Garrison native Kayla Taylor will perform across the Midwest with Central College's A Cappella Choir. This 60-voice ensemble performed Nov. 7-9 at schools, churches and performing arts centers near Des Moines, and the group will make an extended Midwest tour in May. Director Mark Babcock, an associate professor of music, said tour performances help the group to raise their artistic vision and serve as ambassadors of Central College.

Andrea Lohf inducted into Alpha Chi honor society Andrea Lohf was one of 28 Wartburg College students inducted into the Alpha Chi honor society this fall. Lohf, daughter of David and Kathy Lohf of Luzerne, is majoring in English. Alpha Chi is a national honor society recognizing students who rank in the top 10 percent of the junior and senior classes.

On October 21st, the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight received a donation in the amount of $5000.00 from the ConAgra Foods Foundation. Yesterday, EIHF Treasurer Roger Uthoff, Secretary Kevin Vogel (also a ConAgra) employee, and I visited the employees of JM Swank (a ConAgra subsidiary) in North Liberty and presented the employees with a certificate of appreciation for this generous gift.

 Wartburg College recently inducted 68 students into Phi Eta Sigma, the national honor society for college freshman. Inductees include: Megan Bridgewater, daughter of Rodney and Laura Bridgewater of Van Horne, majoring in Communication Arts. Korbi Burkey, son of Lindsay Burkey of Walker, majoring in Biology Advising Preference. Phi Eta Sigma is the oldest and largest freshman honor society.

In an effort to help develop a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the United States Flag and flag etiquette on the part of elementary level students, the American Legion Department of Iowa annually hold a fifth grade flag essay contest. First, second and third place winners will be selected and invited to participate in the Department Convention Parade and read their essay at the Annual Department Convention.

Students from the area are officially members of the University of Iowa's Class of 2018. The undergraduate class is the largest (4,666 students) and most diverse first-year class in UI history and is extremely academically accomplished. Local students include: Benjamin Hyland of Vinton Bonnie Duong of Vinton Brennen Pace of Keystone  Brian Goodell of Vinton Caitlyn Kithcart of Belle Plaine Carley Deklotz of Shellsburg Cassidy Cruise of Atkins  Dakota Hiner of Newhall DeShaylea Pfannebecker of Blairstown Emily Skow of Atkins  Halie Berger of Atkins  Heather Mahoney of Walker Jacob Isbell of Garrison Jay Scheel of Mount Auburn Jennifer Cortez of Vinton Kaitlyn Pegump of Atkins  Kaleb Rabe of Blairstown Keaton Betterton of Atkins  Lane Bachelder of Belle Plaine Lucas Murray of Vinton Luke Moen of Shellsburg Mara Jessen of Shellsburg Monica Brokaw of Newhall Nicole Banks of Van Horne  Nicole Hulsebus of Atkins  Taran Pottebaum of Vinton Taylor Busta of Atkins  Taylor Vislisel of Vinton Thomas Chase of Shellsburg Whitney Schutterle of Norway Among the record-setting academic achievements of the first-year class includes having 523 Old Gold Scholarship recipients, compared to 398 in 2013.

About 30 people came to the Center Point Historical Society annual Harvest Potluck, this year honoring WWII veterans and their families and held in partnership with the Center Point American Legion and Auxiliary.  Speaking at the informal program following the 5 p.m. supper were:  Dr. Kenneth Andersen, a WWII vet; Ken Dinger, a Korean vet who had just been on an Honor Flight to Washington D.

The Vinton Garden Club, member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., District II, and Central Region met at 8:15 am August 27th, 2014 to tour the Cedar Valley Arboretum in Waterloo, with Sharen Stueck as hostess. After our tour we held the meeting in the Welcome Center at the Arboretum then went for lunch at Lone Star Steak House. It turned out to be a nice day to take the tour.