News : Future of City of Shellsburg: Visioning team invites residents to Aug. 8 meeting

Do you like ice cream? Are you interested in improving the future of Shellsburg?

If so, the Shellsburg Community Visioning Project members have an opportunity for you.

Members of the Visioning Steering Committee as well as the Design Committee will be visiting with residents from 4-8 p.m.Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Shellsburg Legion Hall. Free ice cream treats will be served. The public is invited to listen to the committee’s ideas and share their input.

What the group and meeting are not; school rumors addressed

After the Vinton-Shellsburg School District posted the Shellsburg Visioning flyer on its web site, some site visitors erroneously believed that the Visioning project is a school-led effort. That led to rumors that the subject of the meeting was the possible future closing of the Shellsburg Elementary School.

That is in no way the case, says Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock.

“The community of Shellsburg has a very active group working to improve the community,” says Hainstock. “The school is interested in supporting their work. This interest has included the principal, Sheila Wendel, attending meetings and other school employees participating in the work. As a part of the community group’s work, they have developed plans they want to share with more people. In order to help spread the word about the meeting, the school district posted their flier on our district’s website.”

Unfortunately, some people read the title of the flier, “The Future of Shellsburg” to mean, “The Future of Shellsburg Elementary.”

“In reality, the future of the community and the future of the school building are two entirely different things,” says the Superintendent.

“I would encourage residents to attend the meeting on August 8, and learn more about some planning work that’s been done as well as ideas for future work. The community group is looking for input,” Hainstock says.