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Decorah Public Library staff are hosting three book discussions in February. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book.

The Friday Book Group will meet at 2:00 p.m. Fri. Feb. 15^th on the 2^nd floor of the library to discuss Tara Westover’s “Educated.” Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag.” Lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself: she taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, and her quest for knowledge eventually took her to Harvard and Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far. 

For more information, contact Carmen Buss at 563-382-3717.

Growing up in Austria, my  mother effortlessly made every meal from scratch. Dumplings sweet & savory, Schnitzel, and vegetarian side dishes were my favorites and are the highlights of this class. No cooking experience needed. Lot’s of samples and fun!

Lead by Andrea Miller, this is a Hands-on class with a limit of 24 participants. Cost is $12 for Co-op Members, $15 for community members. Call 563-382-4666, or register online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve your seat.

Praised as a “rare combination of approachable and unusual,” by the NYC Jazz Record, New York based brass quartet, The Westerlies will be coming to Luther College as part of the Center Stage Series.

This event will take place in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15. Tickets are $28 for adults, $26 for seniors 65+ and $15 for youth ages 4-18. Dinner will also be available at 5:30 p.m. before the performance in Peace Dining Room. Tickets for dinner are $20 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.tickets.luther.edu, or via the Ticket Office at (563) 387-1357 or tickets@luther.edu. Ticket Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Tuesday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

The Westerlies is comprised of a group of childhood friends from Seattle, Washington. Forming in 2011, they are self-described as an “accidental brass quartet,” comprised of two trumpet and two trombone players. They explore influences such as jazz, roots and chamber music to create music that has been called “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” by NPR music.

The Westerlies have produced two critically acclaimed albums of chamber music. Their debut album, “Wish the Children Would Come on Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz,” was released in 2014 and their latest, a self-titled double CD album of primarily original compositions, was released in 2016. The quartet is also featured on recordings by Fleet Foxes, Vieux Farka Touré, Common and Dave Douglas. They are currently working on a collaboration with the Grammy-nominated vocalist and composer Theo Bleckmann.

Luther’s Student Outreach program will be incorporated into The Westerlies time in Decorah as the group will hold a masterclass for Luther students and will visit the Decorah High School to engage with members of the Decorah High School band.

Educational and community engagement are core elements in The Westerlies’ mission. During each season, they reach out to thousands of students around the country with innovative and inspiring assemblies and masterclasses.

Upcoming Center Stage Series events include Goitse on March 14, 2019 and Evolution on April 6, 2019. For the full Center Stage Series listing see https://tinyurl.com/css201819.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

The Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby has been postponed one week until Saturday, February 16. All other details remain the same.

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The annual Lake Meyer Ice Fishing Derby will be held Saturday, February 9th at Lake Meyer Park.

Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. and fishing runs from 7:30–11:30 a.m. Registration costs $5 for adults (16 years and older) and is free for all children (15 and younger). All ages are welcome!

Prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd bass, bluegill, crappie, northern pike, and perch. All participants will be eligible for one of many door prizes. Award ceremonies and prize drawings will be held following the close of fishing.

Contestants will need to provide their own bucket, auger, and fishing equipment. A limited supply of equipment will be available for use by children. All participants 16 and older must have a valid 2019 Iowa fishing license. No ATVs or cars will be permitted on the ice during the derby. Catch and release of bass and northern pike is encouraged. Bass must be over 15 inches to be eligible for prizes.

In case of poor ice conditions or bad weather, please tune to KDEC 100.5 or KVIK 104.7 for cancellation information.

Lake Meyer Park is located at 2546 Lake Meyer Road, just off Highway 24 between Calmar and Fort Atkinson. All proceeds from the derby will go toward lake and park improvements.

For more information and further details, call (563) 534-7145.

If you ever wonder how much nitrate is in the water bring us a sample to test.  The testing is FREE.  If you come between 10AM and 2PM February 16 your samples will be analyzed within 15 minutes

Bring as many water samples as you want from local wells, springs, ponds, streams and rivers.

While you are waiting try water samples from 3 different local wells.  We will have coffee and other refreshments.

You might talk to hardy local anglers about winter trout fishing, or, visit with water experts from the Minnesota Well Owners Organization (MnWOO) or talk with your neighbors about water, aquifers and well protection.

You will see the most up-to-date information about nitrates and wells in Driftless Area including data from the last four years of testing.

Bring your water samples in a clean plastic or glass container.  Include the location and date you collected the sample and any other details.  Please have a minimum of one cup (8 oz) of water minimum.  Two cups are OK but not necessary.

If you decide to go collect water samples from streams you can have some fun in the cold, come to NTC to get warmed up and hydrated while your samples are analyzed, and you can take your new fishing tips and your nitrate tests home.

After five years of this Citizen Science nitrate screening have confirmed the scientific studies that show the patterns of nitrate distribution in our karst landscape.  The surrounding areas with shallow bedrock, sinkholes and springs are heavily impacted by nitrates.  This ongoing effort gives our neighboring landowners and farmers the information they need to protect our water resources.

The event is hosted by the National Trout Center, the Fillmore SWCD and the Minnesota Well Owners Organization.  The Root River Partnership will also be there.  You will meet trained water quality specialist and people who have an interest in pure, clean water for everyone from the smallest baby to the tallest angler.

Jewel’s Skate Country Decorah, IA

Adult Roller Skating Party!

Saturday Feb 16, 5-8 PM

Skate rental available or bring your own. Great music and skating fun! Please were pads because you are not a kid anymore. Jewel’s has wrist guards available. 

SUPPER & LIVE MUSIC!!!

Treat your Valentine to a delicious meatball supper and some awesome music, all while helping others!!!! Support Decorah 8th graders in raising funds for their summer trip to Washington DC. Dinner served from 5pm to 7pm. Dine in OR carry out!!!  EF5 will be playing rock music from 7 to 11! Tickets required for the meal. Not hungry? No problem! Come and enjoy the band from 7pm to 11pm, $10 cover. ALL proceeds go directly to Decorah 8th Graders to help fund their trip!! 

$15 ages 11 & up

$10 ages 3-11 (under 3 free) 

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:

ELKS- 105 River St, Decorah

KVIK – 501 W Water St, Decorah 

THE CHIROPRACTORS , Dr Kelly Reagan / Dr Perry Numedahl – 300 E Water St, Decorah

Luther College Soccer has partnered with Decorah United Soccer Club and their Director of Coaching, Kyle Nelson, to create an awesome training opportunity for youth soccer players in Northeast Iowa. This will provide some awesome opportunities to build on your skills throughout the winter period in preparation for the spring season or just a chance to grow and develop as a soccer player.

The Luther College Men’s & Women’s Soccer staffs alongside the DUSC staff will be working with the players throughout the winter months including our Luther College Soccer players. We are thrilled to provide so many playing opportunities for our youth soccer players in our area. I thank Kyle Nelson for spearheading the partnership!!!

Here are the details and registration link: http://www.neiaelitetraining.com/

Vocalist Kristin Eggen and keyboardist Ben Hippen join forces to present Eggen & Hippen, one of the freshest new musical acts to emerge from the Driftless Area of the upper  Midwest. Join them at The Cellar on Saturday, February 16th from 7:30-9PM.

Starting in May 2018, Eggen & Hippen have been making a big impression on audiences with their original songs telling stories of love and loss, astronomy and pirates — along with songs that address issues of topical and local significance.

Eggen & Hippen will be releasing their first studio recording in early 2019. Look for it on
Spotify!

Have you been curious about how to waste less, and make better use of the entire animal? In this class, we will cover a variety of dishes, each prepared with less commonly utilized organ meats.  We will go over preparation for items such as beef tongue and liver, as well as other organs, for use in a wide variety of dishes. There’s no need to feel awful about offal!

Lead by Maryna Bazylevych, this is a demonstration-style class with hands-on elements with a limit of 24 participants. Cost is $12 for Co-op Members, $15 for community members. Call 563-382-4666, or register online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve your seat.

Bitty Ball Camp is open to anyone from Pre-K to 2nd grade, boys and girls! The camp will take place at Luther College in the Regents Center (SRC). We will have an awesome camp followed by an autograph and picture session with our team!

The link is attached with more info, if you have any questions contact below. 

Contact: cookjo01@luther.edu

Due to the forecast for Sunday, Feb. 17, this event has been cancelled.

Russell Baldner explores the life and times of Martin Luther, places he lived and worked, the teachings and Reformation he inspired, and the colleagues and defenders who stood by his side. Drawing on striking photography from the 2018 tour in Germany, the presentation features a wealth of attractive scenes and historical architecture from Eisenach, the Wartburg, Erfurt, Leipzig, and Wittenberg; historical portraiture and artifacts; and a little light-hearted fare here and there; all of which culminate in a 289-step ascent to the top of the Schlosskirchebell tower and breathtaking views of charming Lutherstadt(Luther City) Wittenberg. The program concludes on a reflective note with Luther’s death, last written words, and a theological compass of the Reformation as expressed in the opening words of one of his many hymns. The presentation is free and open to the public.   

The 2019 series will kick off with the very talented Madison Ihde. Madison is a Senior at Luther College. She is a wonderful trumpet player and will perform with an ensemble of other talented Luther College students.

The Classics at Montauk Concert Series captures the spirit of parlor concerts that were fashionable in fine homes during the late 1800s to early 1900s. Musicians are accompanied on the 1916 Mason and Hamlin grand piano in the music room at the Montauk mansion, the home of former Iowa Governor William Larrabee and his wife, Anna.

There will be a short reception following the concert. This allows guests the chance to meet and talk with the musicians.

The concert series is sponsored by the Clermont Historical Society and the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Intertwine is an informal time for knitters, spinners, weavers, and other textile enthusiasts to gather, share, learn, and celebrate all things fiber.  Join us in Vesterheim’s Bruening Visitor Center the third Sunday of each month from September though March.

This opportunity is for anyone—non-member or member, new to fiber arts or experienced. Bring your ideas or ​fiber project in progress and leave your stress behind. Check out the fun and lively conversation once or several times. No formal classes will be offered.

Join us for a gentle sequence using floor and chair yoga with special restorative poses to end class. This class will run for 4 consecutive Sundays from 3:00-4:15 at Discover Happy, 518 Montgomery Street. The price is $11 per class or you may purchase a 4-class pass for $40.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules.

Hello Expectant Mama.  If you are looking for some tender loving movement work while you are building a little human inside, you have found the right person.

Choose between Private, Personal, 1 to 1 work or join other mamas (in varying stages of their pregnancy journey) for a Prenatal Pilates Class on Sundays @ Anytime Fitness of Decorah, 5:30 p.m.!

Private Sessions, in-home studio, are by appointment only.
Decorah Pilates w/ Kelly Searcy
516.672.7306 | reachme@kellysearcy.com

It’s a pet show of the artistic kind. Bring in your paintings, prints, sculptures and artistic photographs of dogs, cats, horses, birds and more to be displayed in this open entry show. Deadline to submit work is Feb 1 and costs $5 per entry. This is not a juried show, all work is accepted. Work may be viewed 1-5 Monday- Friday and occasional Saturdays with volunteer staffing. A closing reception with optional silent auction will take place on March 29 with proceeds going to the Humane Society of NE Iowa.

Opening Reception: February 18, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Reception: March 29, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

7:00-8:15 p.m. at the Methodist Church, 302 W Broadway St, Decorah, IA

We are a meditation practice and study group that gathers each week for a variety of meditation teaching videos/readings, group discussion, and guided and silent meditations. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come and go weekly as fits your schedule. (There is no requirement to attend every week.)

We generally use curriculum from Tergar, an international meditation community dedicated to making the practice of meditation accessible to the modern world. We sometimes add in teachings from other meditation teachers connected to Tergar. The meditation and study is based on Buddhist teachings, but is presented in a secular manner and suitable for people of all faiths, as well as both beginning and experienced meditators.

We have relatively comfortable chairs for our meditation, but you are always welcome to bring a cushion or mat or anything you’d find more comfortable, and there will be space to sit on the floor if you wish.

The group is volunteer led. We are grateful for the use of the space at the Methodist Church. Please bring a couple dollars donation for the church if possible, but it’s not necessary.

Together we are learning the essentials of meditation. It’s easier than you think!

In meditation we explore the landscape of the heart and mind with awareness. What we discover is a true and lasting happiness that does not depend on the outer conditions of our lives. With this relaxed, spacious approach to meditation, we learn to use every experience in life as an opportunity to awaken.

Contact us for more information:
Becky Idstrom 563-379 9446 and beckyidstrom@gmail.com
Alicia Trout 563-419-7610 and alicia.jw.trout@gmail.com

Preschoolers will go crazy for color during Barnetimen (Children’s Hour) at Vesterheim.

“This month, we will search the museum to seek out vibrant hues in folk art, learn why we see colors, and experiment with blending and making new colors,” Jennifer Kovarik, Vesterheim’s Youth Educator, said. Colorful snacks will be provided. Activities will begin in the Main Building at 502 W. Water St.

Barnetimen is a free program that meets at Vesterheim Museum the third Tuesday of each month, September-April. The program is geared toward 3-5 year olds, but all ages are welcome. No sign-up is necessary—come to one session or all of them.

Barnetimen is sponsored by Amy and Keith Bruening, David and Brenda Carlson, and Norwegian Mutual Insurance Association.

Emma Big Bear
was a revered figure in northeast Iowa for decades before her death at age 99 in
August 1968.
Learn
about her Winnebago Tribe heritage and the handmade baskets for which she is still
known during the next meeting of the Luther College Woman’s
Club (LCWC).

Terry
Landsgaard, vice president of the Emma Big Bear Foundation, will present “Emma
Big Bear and Her Winnebago Heritage” at the
group’s February meeting, to be held Tuesday,
February 19, at 1:30 p.m. in Peace Dining Room, Dahl Centennial Union, on the
Luther campus. All women from Decorah and surrounding communities are invited
to attend. Shuttle service from the Decorah Swimming Pool is available and
leaves at 1:10 p.m. In addition to the program, a short business meeting,
refreshments, and special music by Luther faculty or students are on the
afternoon’s agenda. 

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Practice your reading fluency while cuddling with a furry friend! Children 5 – 12 years old, who are reading independently, are invited to come to the library to  read aloud to certified therapy dogs and their trainers.

June Melby is hosting a new monthly open mic at the Courtyard and Cellar called Word Salad. Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, she invites people to bring in their poetry, or prose, or spoken word.

Unlike the poetry slam, prose or stories are welcome, and we might even get comedy. Three minutes per person. You can sign up at the door. Sign up is at 6:45 and the show starts at 7:00.

This monthly event will include a segment of “found poetry.” This segment will invite people to read something, like the back of a cereal box, as a poem, appreciating the words of it even if it clearly was never intended to be a poem. So you could bring in a grocery list you find lying in the parking lot. A page of abandoned homework from the library wastebasket. Or instructions for assembling some plumbing. She encourages people to “keep their eye out” and bring in a random thing to this segment.

Following the open mic, Tom Misseldine will take the stage at 8:30pm to play classical guitar.

Teacher, educational activist, and founder of Freedom Writers Foundation, Erin Gruwell will speak at Luther College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20 in Valders Hall of Science Room 206.

The lecture is open to the public with no charge for admission. Gruwell will be available after the lecture for discussion and a book signing. Gruwell will also be speaking to the teachers of Decorah High School and Middle School the morning of Feb. 20.

Inspired by Anne Frank and Zlata Filipovic, who lived in war-torn Sarajevo, Gruwell fosters an educational philosophy that values and promotes diversity. She encourages her students to rethink rigid beliefs about themselves and others, reconsider their daily decisions and ultimately re-chart their own futures. Many of her students have overcome hardships such as teen pregnancy, drugs and violence to become aspiring college students, published writers and catalysts for change. They published a book “The Freedom Writers Diary,” in homage to the civil rights activists, The Freedom Riders. The book is the basis for the 2007 film “Freedom Writers,” in which Gruwell is played by Hilary Swank.

As a teacher, Gruwell channeled her classroom experience toward a larger cause. She founded the Freedom Writers Foundation through which she teaches teachers around the country how to implement her innovative lesson plans into their own classrooms. She has recently published a book about these methods, “The Freedom Writers Diary Teacher’s Guide,” and all proceeds from the book go directly to the Freedom Writers Foundation.

Gruwell and her students have appeared on several television shows including Oprah, Prime Time Live with Connie Chung, Barbara Walters’ The View, and Good Morning America. They have also won dozens of awards, including the Spirit of Anne Frank Award.

Gruwell is a graduate of University of California Irvine, where she was awarded the Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award.  She received her masters degree and teaching credentials from California State University Long Beach where she was honored as a distinguished alumna by the School of Education.

There will be a screening of “Freedom Writers” in Valders Hall of Science Room 206 at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 13. This event is also open to the public with no charge for admission.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Children ages 3 to 6, with a favorite adult, are invited to join Rachel Myers from Winneshiek County Farm Bureau for a fun and interactive storytime featuring books and make-and-take crafts.

For additional information, please contact Decorah Public Library at (563)382-3717. This program is free and open to the public.

DECORAH COMMUNITY FREE MEAL
Building Community Plate by Plate

Join with family, friends and neighbors for a FREE meal* served between 5 pm and 6:15 pm on the third Thursday of the month, at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.
All ages are welcome.

The meal is served on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month beginning at 5 pm.

Main dishes are supplied by local restaurants with assistance by volunteers from community groups.

*Gluten free options are always available.
Donations welcome.

#MeToo has become symbolic of people reclaiming their personal power by sharing on social media that they have been sexually harassed or abused. In fact, this experience is all too common; a recent survey found that 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men have experienced some form of sexual harassment during their lifetimes. Join a conversation with local advocacy and law enforcement experts to discuss how to keep yourself safe in public settings and in private relationships. You’ll take home a personal safety key chain.

Feb 21 | 6-7:30 p.m. Register online at https://bit.ly/2EEKu9B or call 563.557.8271 ext 380.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting three book discussions in February. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book.

The History Book Group will discuss of Frederic Morton’s “Thunder at Twilight: Vienna 1913/1914” at 6:30 p.m. Thurs. Feb. 21^st on the 2^nd floor of the library. “Thunder at Twilight” illuminates two crucial years in Vienna. It was during the carnival of 1913 that a young Stalin arrived on a mission that would launch him into the upper echelon of Russian revolutionaries, and it was here that he first collided with Trotsky. It was in Vienna that the failed artist Adolf Hitler kept daubing watercolors and spouting tirades at fellow drifters in a flophouse. And it was here, shortly before his assassination would trigger the Great War, that Archduke Franz Ferdinand had a troubled audience with Emperor Franz Joseph.

For more information, contact Kristin Torresdal at 563-382-3717.

The Luther College Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center are sponsoring an educational Ed Fallon presentation/ book signing. Fallon, author of Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim. This book describes an eight-month odyssey from L.A. to D.C., where dozens of marchers become a mobile village, sounding the alarm about our climate crisis. How they worked together, butted heads, solved conflicts, risked their lives, and ultimately stayed true to their goal makes for an exciting, multi-layered tale. Fallon will be holding his presentation in Olin 102 at 7PM.  How much are you willing to do to avert the climate crisis?  Meet the man who walked and led a group 3000 miles to connect with Americans about our choices.

On an eight month walk from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., dozens of marchers became a mobile village, sounding an alarm about the climate crisis. Among those marchers was Ed Fallon, the author of “Marcher Walker Pilgrim,” a story about his journey and experiences along the way. Fallon will be speaking about his story at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21 in Olin Hall, Room 102 on the Luther College Campus.

This lecture is open to the public with no charge for admission. Fallon will be available after the lecture for discussion and a book signing.

Before taking on the role of activist, Fallon acted as an Iowa state representative, spending 13 years as a Democratic representative in the Iowa Legislature. During this time, he tended to stray from the general Democratic view, even supporting the Green Party presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, over Al Gore in 2000. Fallon also sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2006, but did not receive it.

In 2014, Fallon organized an eight month, 3,000-mile trek across the country to call attention to climate change, with between 35 and 50 other people behind him. About halfway through this adventure, Fallon found himself questioning whether or not his work was really worth it. This was the time that he began his book. According to the Des Moines Register, “From the first page, you understood that Fallon’s account of “The Great March for Climate Action,” won’t be some scientific analysis of why we have alternating droughts and floods, and occasional July winters and December summers. Nor does it get into the fine points of government land, air and water policies or how we can turn back the clock on so-called progress. His book is more of a tribute to the natural world.”

Fallon loved the conversations that he witnessed while on the march. He was especially intrigued by the conversations that his fellow urban marchers had with the rural conservatives that they encountered. His book tells the story of the numerous conversations that he witnessed and took part in over the course of his journey.

Fallon’s lecture is sponsored by the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center as well as the Luther College Center for Ethics and Public Engagement.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives. It takes
just one hour to make a life-saving blood donation, which will impact the lives
of up to three different hospital patients. You can make a difference in your
community by helping to maintain the local blood supply when you donate blood
with LifeServe Blood Center.

Give your life-saving gift at the upcoming blood drive at Winneshiek
Medical Center on Friday, February 22 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm on the lower
level of the medical center.

Need a space for you and your little ones to run off some energy this winter?

Join us February 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd from 10:30-11:30 a.m. for some open gym fun inside Luther’s East Gym!

There is no admission fee, and balls, scooters, etc. will be provided.

-A Parent/Guardian MUST stay to supervise their child(ren).

-You can enter through the main doors of the Regents Center.

-RSVP’s are not required.

Contact Safe Routes to School Coordinator April Bril (563-382-6171 or abril@uerp.org) or Luther Wellness Program Director Chandra Jennings (563-387-2075 or chandra.jennings@luther.edu ) with any questions.

*Don’t forget to keep track of your outdoor physical activity to be entered for Beat the Blues Winter Marathon’s raffle prize ($50 gift card!!), more info at walkneiowa.org.

A huge thank you to Luther College Wellness and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) for making this program possible!

All ages are welcome to join ArtHaus in paint-alongside in the studio. Enjoy a treat of cookies and milk alongside your paintings. Parents are welcome to register to with their child or collaborate on a painting together. Walking School Bus is provided from John Cline, Montessori and Carrie Lee.

AGE: Everyone
DATE: Friday, February 22
TIME: 3:15 pm – 5:00 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Ryan Koning
COST: $20

Cookies and Canvas- Mermaid

Spaghetti Supper, Live Auction & Homemade Pie Auction!

This is your chance to support a great cause – The Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum – and have a great meal at the same time! Tickets $10 Adults (sold at the door)

Live Auction – Purchase goods donated by local businesses

Homemade Pie Auction – your chance to purchase a homemade pie from a local kitchen – with proceeds benefiting the Museum!

Raffle – $100 Walmart Gift Card; $100 Fareway Gift Card; $100 Visa Prepaid Card. Tickets $2 a piece

Critically acclaimed stand-up comedian Eric O’Shea is performing at Luther College 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, at Marty’s in the lowest level of the Dahl Centennial Union on Luther’s campus.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at www.tickets.luther.edu or via the Luther Ticket Office, telephone (563) 387-1357 or tickets@luther.edu. The Ticket Office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; with extended hours on Thursdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

O’Shea is praised for his high energy and clean wit, from original stories to celebrity impressions. He takes his audiences through common embarrassing childhood moments and hidden everyday experiences, including his segment “Songs for Commercials” that was performed at the 2009 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on E! Network.

O’Shea’s work has been viewed more than 4,000,000 times on YouTube. He has appeared across various media platforms including NBC, ABC, Disney, VH1 and Sirius XM. He also has showcased his work on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. 

In addition to performing at over 1,800 colleges and universities in his 25 year-long career, O’Shea is a six-time of Campus Activities Magazine’s “National Comedy Performer of the Year” award. 

This event is sponsored by Luther’s Student Activities Council Entertainment committee. 

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

When days are short and nights grow long, it’s time to celebrate community the Norwegian way—with warm drinks, good friends, and an untranslatable word—koselig!

Drop by Vesterheim’s Bruening Visitor Center for delicious cake and good conversation and get a feel for koselig. This informal gathering is free and open to everyone. Come and go as you wish.

What is koselig? Cozy is the closest translation, but it’s really much more than that. It’s a very deep feeling of warmth and contentment; a sense of intimacy and comfort. It’s a candlelit dinner party with friends and family. A wool sweater, a cup of hot cocoa, and a comfy couch with the latest Nordic crime drama on TV. It’s a fresh batch of warm waffles from scratch with homemade jam after a jaunt through the woods on your cross-country skis. Stop by Vesterheim and experience koselig!

Free live show at The Cellar! The bar features craft cocktails, rare whiskeys, local tap beers, pizza & more!

Triflemore is our transatlantic folk duo, including one of us from small-town America and the other from the northernmost islands of Scotland. We bring our varied experiences to the table, creating music with subtle flavours of vintage British Isles folk, Baroque, and Celtic.

​

Fingerstyle guitar delicately woven with soothing vocals, we sing our own poetry that is both modern and reflective, whilst giving a nod to more formal, traditional stylings. We are dedicated to crafting a crisp, elegant interpretation of lo-fi simplicity, always allowing the organic SOMETHING that happens when people just. do. music.

Stop by from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in Vesterheim’s Bruening Visitor Center, 502 W. Water Street, to learn a tune, share a tune, jam with us, or just come to listen.

Bring any instrument you play and join in. This informal music collaboration is great fun for all levels and happens the fourth Sunday of each month.

Drop in whenever it works in your schedule. No charge. Recording device advised.

For more info contact Martha Griesheimer at mgriesheimer@vesterheim.org.

In 1968, a group of students led the longest campus strike in United States history in search of equality and social justice for the African American community. Today this event is seen as a starting point for the establishment of ethnic studies and social equality. Through the stories of the young men and women who lead the battle for a more relevant and meaningful education for African American students, “Agents of Change” is a film that examines the racial conditions found on college campuses.

As part of their 50-year anniversary commemoration, Luther College’s Black Student Union will host a film screening of “Agents of Change” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in Valders Hall of Science Room 206 on the Luther campus. Both the screening and discussion to follow are open to the public with no charge for admission.

“Agents of Change” is co-produced and directed by Frank R. Dawson and Abby Ginzberg. It focuses on the stories of men and women who dealt with the struggles of being a black college student in the late 1960s. The characters in this film are caught in the middle of the civil rights movement, the black power movement and the anti-Vietnamese war movement.

According to the African American Intellectual History Society, a scholarly organization focused on black thought and culture, “Agents of Change” is the new documentary on black student activism. This film explores the lives of people in the 1960s and draws parallels to the similarities in the lives of people today.

The Luther College Black Student Union is an organization that was established in the fall of 1968 by a group of students looking for a space to celebrate their culture, accomplishments and share in their struggles. The yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this organization formally commenced during homecoming 2018 on the weekend of Oct. 26. It continues with a calendar of lectures, speakers and other events to commemorate BSU’s 50th anniversary. More information about these upcoming events is available at https://www.luther.edu/alumni/events/bsu/.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Award winning historian, author, professor and founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, Ibram X. Kendi will present the Humanities Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. on Thursday Feb. 28 in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther College campus.

This event is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Kendi’s lecture will focus on the topics discussed in his books, “The Black Campus Movement: Black Students and Racial Reconstitution of Higher Education, 1965-1972” and “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America,” the latter of which allowed him to become the youngest winner of the National Book Award at the age of 34.

Kendi’s visit to campus is a part of a series of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Luther’s Black Student Union.

Some of Kendi’s achievements include being a visiting professor at Brown University, a 2013 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow and a postdoctoral fellow at the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis among many other fellowships. He received a degree in journalism from Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University and his doctorate in African American studies from Temple University.

The Luther College Black Student Union is an organization that was established in the fall of 1968 by a group of students looking for a space to celebrate their culture, accomplishments and share in their struggles. The yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of this organization formally commenced during homecoming 2018 on the weekend of Oct. 26. It continues with a calendar of lectures, speakers and other events to celebrate BSU’s 50th anniversary. More information about these upcoming events is available at https://www.luther.edu/alumni/events/bsu/.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Luther College music faculty and pianist Miko Kominami will give a solo piano recital at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 in the Noble Recital Hall of the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music on the Luther campus.

The recital, open to the public with no charge of admission, includes three Scarlatti Sonatas, four Liszt-Schubert songs, Haydn Sonata in F Major and concludes with Liszt’s “Rhapsodie Espagnole.”

Kominami graduated from The Juilliard School and currently enjoys a varied career on the faculty at Luther College and as Principal Keyboardist of Orchestra Iowa. She has performed extensively throughout North America, including performances in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Washington D.C. and Toronto, both as a soloist and a collaborator with other artists. As a concerto soloist, she has performed with Orchestra Iowa, Danbury Symphony, Kishwaukee Symphony, Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra and the Luther College Symphony Orchestra.

Kominami can be heard on recordings released by Centaur, Delos, Innova and Fleur de Son Classics.

Luther is home to one of the largest collegiate music programs in the nation, with five choirs, three orchestras, three bands, two jazz bands and nearly 800 student musicians. Luther students participate in large ensembles, faculty-coached chamber groups, private lessons and master classes. More than 275 music majors study music theory, ear training, history, education, composition, jazz, church music and performance.

Come explore the ancient tradition of chain making! You’ll use “Viking Knitting,” a centuries-old looping technique, to create a beautiful silver bracelet with a variety of unusual clasps. Historically, this unique method of looping resembles nålbinding, which pre-dates knitting and was used to fabricate everything from articles of clothing to netting for catching fish! You’ll have the opportunity to complete a bracelet in a single day—no previous experience required. All tools and materials will be provided. Add a charm for an additional charge, or bring one of your own! There will be a materials fee of approximately $125, payable to the instructor.

March 2, 2019 with Liz Bucheit.

Youth ages 15-17 receive a 25% discount. A 50% discount is available (on a standby basis) for Winneshiek County residents.

New Minowa Players Offers Director’s Workshop

Have you ever thought you would like
to direct a show?  Have you not proposed
directing because you felt that you wouldn’t know how?  Have you directed shows and think you would
like to learn more? 

New Minowa Players presents A Directing Workshop led by Kristen Underwood, with
assistance from Aaron Kvale and Sheryl Scheffert.  The workshop will be presented on Saturday,
March 2^nd from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. 
The cost is $10 for members of New Minowa Players and $20 for
non-members. To register please go to newminowaplayers.org. The entrance fee
covers all materials and lunch.  (Please
contact us at newminowaplayers@gmail.com with any special dietary needs so we
can accommodate them.)  Registration is
open to adults and students high school age and above.  There is a limit of 20 participants.  We hope you will consider being one of them. 

An
overview of the workshop is as follows:

o 10:00-12:30: How to
Think Like a Director

§ Thinking about the
script                   

§ Breaking a script into
beats

§ What do you want to say
with this script?

§ What qualities are you
looking for in actors for this show?

§ Technical needs analysis

§ Adapting the script for
an NMP audience

§ Thinking about the
performance space

§ Using the stage

§ Stage pictures

§ Spaces beyond the stage

o 12:30-1:15: Lunch break

o 1:15-1:45: Planning for
auditions

§ Logistics 

§ How do we get to see
what we want/need from actors?

§ Make a plan

o 1:45-2:15: Auditions

o 2:15-2:45: Casting
discussion and decisions

o 2:45-3:45: Hands-on directing
experience

Questions
can be addressed to Sheryl Scheffert 563-379-5738 or sherylscheffert@gmail.com

Kids and adults are all invited to a free story time and author talk with children’s book author Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrator Larry Day as they share their new picture book Bim, Bam, Bop…and Oona. A tale about being true to yourself, Bim, Bam, Bop . . . and Oona (Univ. of Minnesota Press 2019) is an irresistible read-aloud picture book in which a little odd-duck-out discovers her unique strengths. Jacqueline and Larry will read and talk about their new book on Saturday, March 2 at 10:00 AM at Dragonfly Books.

This event is sponsored by Dragonfly Books at 112 W. Water St., Decorah and is free and open to the public. To learn more about this and other events at Dragonfly Books, please visit www.dragonflybooks.com, or contact us at events@dragonflybooks.com or 563-382-4275.

Luther College Soccer has partnered with Decorah United Soccer Club and their Director of Coaching, Kyle Nelson, to create an awesome training opportunity for youth soccer players in Northeast Iowa. This will provide some awesome opportunities to build on your skills throughout the winter period in preparation for the spring season or just a chance to grow and develop as a soccer player.

The Luther College Men’s & Women’s Soccer staffs alongside the DUSC staff will be working with the players throughout the winter months including our Luther College Soccer players. We are thrilled to provide so many playing opportunities for our youth soccer players in our area. I thank Kyle Nelson for spearheading the partnership!!!

Here are the details and registration link: http://www.neiaelitetraining.com/

Learn to wield the jeweler’s saw like a wizard’s wand! Discover the historical fusion of art and trade among Scandinavian and Irish peoples as you hand-craft your own pierced Celtic knot pendant. You will experience immediate gratification as you create a lifelong keepsake using sawing, piercing, soldering, and polishing techniques. The mere exercise of completing a one-day project of this scope speaks to the tradition of the transient lifestyle of the ancient silversmith, who traveled from town to town with tools in hand. All tools, patterns, and materials will be provided. There is a materials fee of $75-$85, payable to the instructor.

March 3, 2019 with Michael Seiler.

Youth ages 15-17 receive a 25% discount. A 50% discount is available (on a standby basis) for Winneshiek County residents.

Slow down with Vesterheim Museum and the work of painter Christian Midjo at a S.L.O.W.A.R.T workshop at the museum from 1:30-3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 3.

This program combines mindfulness meditation, focused observation, and fine art. “Slowing down reveals complexity we would otherwise miss because of the many distractions we have in our lives,” Zach Row-Heyveld, Vesterheim’s exhibitions manager, said.

Participants will spend time learning techniques for mindfulness and observation and then put those new skills into practice by spending an extended period of time looking at a single painting in the exhibit, “Christian Midjo: Choose Your Own Artventure.”

The workshop will be co-led by John Snyder, a local artist, and Row-Heyveld.

The workshop is $10. Space is limited, and registration in advance is required. Register through email (info@vesterheim.org) or by calling the museum at 563-382-9681.

The workshop is in connection with the exhibit, “Christian Midjo: Choose Your Own Artventure,” open at Vesterheim through April 21, 2019, and sponsored by Greg and Karen Bruening. An immigrant from Norway in the early 1900s, Midjo has one of the most distinctive painting styles of all of the artists in Vesterheim’s collection.

In this class you will learn basic forging theory, shop safety, and proper use of tools prior to starting up the forges. Once in the shop, each of you will use the forging equipment, including forges, anvils, hammers, and tongs to forge your own key rack or coat hook. You will come away knowing how to taper, bend, rivet, and make scrolls. The class will be tailored to different ages and individual skills. Propane and materials fees are included in the registration fee.

3:15-5:15 p.m. Ages 13-17. $60 per student.

When injury or trauma occurs, herbs can have a positive effect on the body. What if trauma has occurred without an obvious injury? In holistic medicine we see the importance of not only treating the injury, but treating the trauma that has impacted the body and spirit. Bonnie has been a practicing herbalist for nearly 20 years, and in this time she has used herbs to treat broken bones, burns, concussions, lacerations, and more. In this interesting and informative class, we will cover uses for various healing herbs, and learn to prepare a poultice and a compress.

Lead by Clinical Herbalist, Bonnie Kreckow, this is a Lecture-style class with a limit of 24 participants. Cost is $15 for Co-op Members, $18 for community members. Call 563-382-4666, or register online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve your seat.

Practice your reading fluency while cuddling with a furry friend! Children 5 – 12 years old, who are reading independently, are invited to come to the library to  read aloud to certified therapy dogs and their trainers.

Join us for the 2019 Porter House Museum Lecture Series, featuring film historian Michael Zahs, Professor of Biology Kirk Larsen, and habitat restoration specialist Scott Leddy!

All talks are FREE and open to the public at the Lingonberry in downtown Decorah. Doors open at 7:00PM. Seating is first-come, first-served. A reception will follow each of the Lecture Series presentations.

MICHAEL ZAHS–March 6th

Zahs, the film historian featured in the acclaimed documentary Saving Brinton will demonstrate a historic magic lantern slide projector by recreating one of Decorah resident A.F. Porter’s slide shows of his journeys abroad in the 1910s and 1920s.

Co-hosted by the Oneota Film Festival

KIRK LARSEN–March 21st

What happened to that bug splat on my windshield?

Join Luther College Professor of Biology Kirk Larsen for a look at the troubling worldwide decline of insect populations… why is this important? And what might we be able to do to make a positive difference?

SCOTT LEDDY–April 11th

Naturalist, nature photographer, and habitat-restoration specialist Scott Leddy will take us on a visual journey to explore the native pollinators in our area and the prairie flowers that comprise their habitats.

Co-hosted by Seed Savers Exchange

DECORAH COMMUNITY FREE MEAL
Building Community Plate by Plate

Join with family, friends and neighbors for a FREE meal* served between 5 pm and 6:15 pm on the first Thursday of the month at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.
All ages are welcome.

The meal is served on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month beginning at 5 pm.

Main dishes are supplied by Sodexo at Luther College or by local restaurants. Salads and desserts are provided by volunteers from local community groups.

*Gluten free options are always available.
Donations welcome.

“Blakey at 100 | A Musical Celebration of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers”

Keith Hall – Guest Jazz Drum Set Recital 

Thursday, March 7, 7:30 p.m., CFL Recital Hall

with Jon Ailabouni (trumpet)

Lynne Hart (sax)

Chris Olson (guitar)

Karyn Quinn (bass)

Keith Hall is a professor of music at Western Michigan University, where he teaches Jazz Drum Set, History of Jazz, and Entrepreneurship. He is the author of Jazz Drums Now! Volumes 1 and 2 and tours the globe with singer Curtis Stigers and his New York trio, TRI-FI. Hall spent eight years in New York City, where he played drums on Broadway’s Lion King and performed with Betty Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Sir Roland Hanna, Joe Lovano, Michael Phillip Mossman, Luciana Souza, Terrell Stafford, Steve Wilson, and Wynton Marsalis.

The Tenth Annual Oneota Film Festival will be held on the Luther College Campus. 

The mission of the Oneota Film Festival is to build and sustain a community of film lovers through screenings and discussion.  The Festival strives to inform, inspire and engage viewers and filmmakers in compelling issues of our time.

E-mail us your favorite high resolution photo of your pet by Feb 15 at info@arthausdecorah.org and we will transfer it to grayscale underlying image that we will paint together in a cozy and fun environment. The first drink is included.

AGE: Adult
DATE: Friday, March 8
TIME: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Ryan Koning
COST: $35
LOCATION: Rubaiyat Restaurant

Meet our teachers, explore our
classrooms, and learn about
Decorah’s outdoor-based preschool
and kindergarten.

Luther College Soccer has partnered with Decorah United Soccer Club and their Director of Coaching, Kyle Nelson, to create an awesome training opportunity for youth soccer players in Northeast Iowa. This will provide some awesome opportunities to build on your skills throughout the winter period in preparation for the spring season or just a chance to grow and develop as a soccer player.

The Luther College Men’s & Women’s Soccer staffs alongside the DUSC staff will be working with the players throughout the winter months including our Luther College Soccer players. We are thrilled to provide so many playing opportunities for our youth soccer players in our area. I thank Kyle Nelson for spearheading the partnership!!!

Here are the details and registration link: http://www.neiaelitetraining.com/

So good, we’re bringing it back for those who couldn’t attend the first class. A plant-based, whole foods diet has been recommended by physicians like Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D. of the Cleveland Clinic (How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease), Michael Greger, M.D. (How Not to Die) and Alana Pulde, M.D. and Matthew Lederman, M.D. (Forks Over Knives) in order to prevent and even reverse illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. This (vegan) diet has been proven to be curative, AND it can be delicious. Katherine Hannigan will demonstrate and share some of the best recipes she’s found, cooking tips, and more information about this way of cooking and eating. It’s good for the planet, too!

Luther College will host its annual Benefactor’s Organ Recital,  featuring Kimberly Marshall, professor of organ at Arizona State University. The recital will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10, in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther campus.

The program, titled “Serving God and Humanity: The Organ in Liturgical and Ceremonial Context” will include music by Bach, Brahms, Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, Felix Mendelssohn, Ethel Smyth and Margaret Vardell Sandresky.

In addition to her current role at Arizona State, Marshall has taught at both Stanford University and the Royal Academy of Music in London. She has been a recitalist, workshop leader and adjudicator at nine national conventions of The American Guild of Organists. Marshall won the St. Albans International Organ Playing Competition in 1985 and currently holds the Patricia and Leonard Goldman Endowed professorship in organ at Arizona State University.

Marshall is known across the world for her presentation of organ music and has performed throughout Europe including concerts in London’s Royal  Festival Hall, St. Paul’s Cathedral, King’s College, Cambridge, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and Chartres Cathedral. She has released recordings that feature music of the Italian and Spanish Renaissance, French Classical and Romantic periods and more. She has also published anthologies of late-medieval and Renaissance organ music in order to increase awareness of earlier repertoire.

The annual Benefactor’s Organ Recital features outstanding artists of international caliber on the Robert Sipe Organ in the Center for Faith and Life. The intent of the concert is to provide and inspirational role model for current and prospective students who wish to pursue study of the organ at Luther. It is sponsored through the  Kathryn Ulvilden Moen ’41 Organ Fund and the William B. Kuhlman Endowment.

Luther is home to one of the largest collegiate music programs in the nation, with five choirs, three orchestras, three bands, two jazz bands and more than 800 student musicians. Luther students participate in large ensembles, faculty-coached chamber groups, private lessons and master classes. Nearly 275 music majors study music theory, ear training, history, education, composition, jazz, church music and performance.

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of those living with mental illness. These groups are unique because they follow a structured model, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard and get what they need. Participating will help you learn to:

• See the individual first, not the illness
• Find strength in sharing experiences
• Not judge anyone’s pain
• Aim for better coping skills
• Reject stigma and not tolerate discrimination
• Accept that we cannot solve every problem
• Work for a better future in a realistic way

Join for casual conversation with area leaders. Our speakers will share their stories and experiences with organizational and community leadership.

The second presenter in the Women in Leadership series is Lorraine Borowski. Lorraine was elected as the mayor of Decorah in 2017. Decorah has been her home since she attended Luther College. Lorraine previously worked as the director of the Public Library and filmed city council meetings for the last 10 years. Her work on civic, county and state initiatives, gives her a strong understanding of the city and its government.

Children ages 3 to 6, with a favorite adult, are invited to join Rachel Myers from Winneshiek County Farm Bureau for a fun and interactive storytime featuring books and make-and-take crafts.

For additional information, please contact Decorah Public Library at (563)382-3717. This program is free and open to the public.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, youth are able to learn how to decorate cookies with a professional baker. Students will learn 4-6 different decorating techniques with icings and sprinkles. (8 student max)

DATE: Friday, March 15
TIME: 3:15 pm – 5:00 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Kari Sassaman
COST: $25

Dragonfly Books invites everyone to a free author talk with Iowa City author Tim Johnston as he talks about his new literary thriller The Current. Set in a small Minnesota town, The Current weaves through time, families, wounds, and obsessions to create a gripping and heartbreaking story. Johnston will talk about his book, share his stories, and sign copies on Friday, March 15 at 7:00 pm at Dragonfly Books.

This event is sponsored by Dragonfly Books at 112 W. Water St., Decorah and is free and open to the public. To learn more about this and other events at Dragonfly Books, please visit www.dragonflybooks.com, or contact us at events@dragonflybooks.com or 563-382-4275.