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A desire to play and share chamber music with northeast Iowa led Nicole Cody (violin,) Kayla Scholl (violin,) Benjamin Kratchmer (viola,) and Ivan Caluya (cello,) form the Epinoia Quartet in late 2017. Join them for a preview from their upcoming recital, including the monumental Heiliger Dankgesang movement from Beethoven’s String Quartet no.15

Current and former mentors, Mentors For A Day, mentees, supporters, and their families are invited to celebrate an evening including a catered meal, entertainment, and reflections on 20 years. If you are able to attend, please RSVP to kathys@helpingservices.org. If you are not able to attend, please share your memories at the same address. Please also contact others you know who have been involved to be sure they can share or attend. 20 YEARS, wow!

April showers bring everlasting May flowers. A beginning class exploring the Venetian art of making faux flowers with tiny class beads and wire. Learn basic techniques to create leaves and petals that will be assembled into everlasting floral stems. A minimum of 6 students are needed to hold the class.

Dates: April 3 – May 8
Time: Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm
Instructor: Marcia Cook

Register by March 17: $65 $25 ($5.40 an hour)
Register after March 17: $75 $25 materials ($6.20 an hour)

A presentation about Bird Friendly Iowa and the criteria necessary for Decorah to be designated a “Bird Friendly Iowa Community”, will be presented by Doug Harr, Iowa Audubon Society President Tuesday, April 24, 7 PM at the Decorah Public Library.
Bird Friendly Iowa is a new program unveiled in 2017 by a partnership of several Iowa conservation organizations, agencies and individuals including Iowa Audubon. Modeled after similar programs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, the purpose is to encourage communities to focus upon bird conservation by meeting certain established criteria. Once a community has applied and met the criteria a “Bird Friendly Community” designation can be awarded by the project partnership. When effort is made to conserve resident and migratory birds, communities actually help our environment, because the diversity and number of birds attracted often serve as good barometers of local environmental health.

All Upper Iowa Audubon Society programs are free and open to the public. For more information please contact Connie Hvitved, 563-547-4685.

The Dreamery Rural Arts Initiative has invited Minneapolis’s Ten Thousand Things to Wykoff to perform The Good Woman of Szechwan by Berthold Brecht on April 24 at 7pm in the Wykoff Community Center. The performance is free and open to the public, with ADA accessibility. No tickets nor reservations are necessary.
(Minneapolis, MN, March 16, 2018) — Michelle Hensley ends her tenure as Ten Thousand Things’ Artistic Director with a return to the first show TTT performed: Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan. The tale, told with music and humor, follows a poor woman who receives a bag of gold from the gods and is torn in two as she tries to help all her struggling friends but take care of herself at the same time. Hensley directs a cast of Christina Baldwin, Sun Mee Chomet, Joy Dolo, Tyson Forbes, Elise Langer, Harry Water Jr, Karen Wiese-Thompson and Max Wojtanowicz.

TTT first performed Good Person in 1989 at a homeless shelter in Santa Monica, California. Hensley moved the company to Minneapolis in the early 1990s. “The circle that is so important to Ten Thousand Things brings me back one last time to the Brecht play that started it all,” said Hensley. “I am eager to see how our very changed world will shed new light on this timeless story.”

Hensley has directed and produced more than 70 tours for the company. She also has staged TTT-style Shakespeare tours for The Public Theater in NYC and California Shakespeare Theatre. San Diego’s Old Globe, Baltimore’s Center Stage, Delaware Shakespeare Festival and Cripple Creek Theater in New Orleans are now among many theaters using TTT’s model. She has been named City Pages Best Director in multiple years and Best Artistic Director in the Twin Cities by the Star Tribune in 2012. In fall 2017, she received the Ivey Award for Lifetime Achievement. She is a recipient of a McKnight Theater Artist Fellowship and the Francesca Primus Prize for outstanding contribution to the American theater by a female artist. Her book about TTT, All the Lights On, was published by the Minnesota Historical Press/Howlround Press in 2015.

ABOUT TEN THOUSAND THINGS
Ten Thousand Things bring lively, intelligent, professional theater to people with little access to the wealth of the arts—who in turn help our artists and traditional audiences re-imagine what theater can be. Theater-goers experience the immediacy and vibrancy of theater through a performance in which there is no stage and actors perform in the middle of the audience, inches away from patrons. With minimal sets and costumes, the finest quality actors in the region fully engage the audience by distilling the story to its essence. Marcela Lorca has been selected as the company’s next Artistic Director.

ABOUT THE DREAMERY
 The Dreamery Rural Arts Initiative is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and expanding arts experiences in rural Fillmore County, and to making use of renewable/sustainable energy sources to do so. Summer 2018 events, including the Play! in the Barn Series, are generously supported by individual donors. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
Visit websites at www.dreamacresfarm.org. or www.dreameryruralartsinitiative.org.

Participants are welcome to share any recent or past literature that has helped them see American history through the lens of black Americans. You may share informally or read passages meaningful to you. No assigned text, but you may want to choose a book from our loaning library at Peace and Justice Center. You may also come to just listen to others. We hope for a diverse group.
If you attended the classes on White Privilege, this could be a perfect follow up.
Questions: call Julie at 563-382-5695

Kindergarten to second grade students are invited to learn about saving energy, sustainability, and healthy eating. During this 6 week program, kids will engage in fun, hands-on activities to learn about how to be environmental stewards. Parents should drop children off at Oneota Co-op Kitchen Classroom at 7:30am, students who attend John Cline Elementary School will be escorted to school by 8:50am via walking school bus. Those who attend St. Ben’s or are homeschooled should be picked up by parents by 8:35am.

Taught by Green Iowa AmeriCorps Members Ashley Lookenhouse and Hannah Haugen, this is a FREE hands-on class with a limit of 10 students. Call 563-382-4666, or register online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve a place.

Two jazz combos!

Presenting fresh interpretations of jazz standards, Luther College combos Midnight Institute and Granola Hatchery embark on an evening of swinging and spontaneous music making at Java John’s

Join us for a yoga adventure! Children 18 months – 5 years old, with a parent or caregiver, are invited to come to the library for a special yoga storytime with Laree Schouweiler, owner of Reefuel indoor cycling and yoga studio. Meshing stories with yoga postures and games, this program is bound to be fun!!

Yoga and mindfulness have many benefits for children, including flexibility, alertness, and a greater sense of calm. Laree has been teaching NE Iowans full-time since 2013 and looks forward to sharing the yogi-love with you!

This program will be offered at 10:30 am on Thursday mornings (April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th). It is free and open to the public. No yoga experience is required. Space is limited, so please register in advance at www.decorah.lib.ia.us. Parents or caregivers will need to sign a physical activity waiver/permission slip the day of the program.

For additional information, please contact Joan Roach, Children’s and Youth Librarian, at jroach@decorah.lib.ia.us or (563)382-3717.

Are you interested in Something Good? Join artist in residence Erin Lavelle for a happy hour tea party and discussion on value, commodities, sustainability and the power of the stories embedded in an object’s history in the intimate confines of Anna V’s Bed & Breakfast (507 Fillmore Ave S) on Thursday, April 26 between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Welcome Erin to Lanesboro and learn about her unique public art exchange project, entitled “Something Good.”

Local Cheeses and fruit and some cookies with a selection of wines and tea will be provided! Advance registration is encouraged, but not required. Please contact Program Director Adam Wiltgen at adam@lanesboroarts.org or 507-467-2446.

Erin is a Minneapolis-based artist that believes that the meaningful exchange of stories and goods amongst neighbors has the power to move a community forward in the way members relate to each other; promoting problem-solving through deeper listening skills. “Something Good” is a public art exchange project based on the Buddhist concept of dana (generosity) where both the specific gift and the recipient are considered when giving.

Erin will join the Lanesboro community for two residencies in 2018, with the first taking place April 23 – May 7 and the second August 6 – 20. Locals will have an opportunity to participate in April by offering up ‘something good’ to the project through a donation and storytelling event series. The future of those goods and stories will be revealed in August when Erin returns to complete the project, and again, residents and visitors will have an opportunity to participate.

For more on Erin and her residency at Lanesboro Arts, please visit: https://lanesboroarts.org/lavelle/

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention month, Allamakee County Community Partnerships for Protecting Children in conjunction with Helping Services for Youth and Families, HAWC Partnerships for Children, Riverview Center, and Crisis Intervention Service are offering this FREE event for families!

Snacks and Family Resources will be provided. Activities will include: an obstacle course, family fitness challenges, nature crafts, seed planting activity, and family photo opportunities.

There is no registration required, and families are welcome to arrive at anytime! All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Questions? Call or text Shelby at: (563) 380-1300 or shenkelman@helpingservices.org

NEW DATE AND TIME!

This soft, fresh, South Asian-style cheese is delicious in traditional Indian foods, but it’s also flexible enough to be used on pizza, in burritos, crumbled on top of salads or soup, or as a spread on bagels. We will demonstrate how to make this delicious staple in class, then taste the finished product cooked into a classic curry of baby spinach. Recipes included so you can experience how easy it is to create the freshest cheese in your own home.

Lead by the Co-op’s own Beth Rotto and Andrea Springmeier, this is a demonstration-style class that is gluten-free and vegetarian friendly with a limit of 16 participants. Cost is $12 for Co-op Members, $15 for community members. Call 563-382-4666, or sign-up online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve your seat.

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.

Luther College Admissions will hold a Preview Day on Friday, April 27, to give prospective students an introduction to Luther College.

The day includes a campus tour, an academic department visit, a student activities and services fair, complimentary lunch in Luther’s cafeteria, a financial aid session, a current student Q&A session, and a trolley tour of Decorah.

The deadline to register is Sunday, April 22, at https://tinyurl.com/april-27-preview-day. This is the final Preview Day of the academic year.

Located in Decorah, Iowa, Luther College is a four-year liberal arts college that is nationally recognized for academic excellence, exceptional study abroad experiences, an outstanding music program and successful NCAA Division III athletics.

More information about Preview Day and other Luther College visit events, are available at: visit.luther.edu.

Luther College presents a biology colloquium by Mark Borchardt titled “Cows or People? Sources of Fecal Contamination in the Karst-like Aquifer in Northeast Wisconsin” 9:40 a.m., Thursday, April 26, in Valders Hall of Science, Room 206 on the Luther campus.

The colloquium is open to the public with no charge for admission.

In his lecture, Borchardt will explain how he uses viruses and gut bacteria to determine the source of bacterial contaminants in well water.

Borchardt is the director of the Laboratory for Infectious Disease and the Environment in Marshfield, Wisconsin. LIDE is an interagency laboratory between USDA-Agriculture Research Service and USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center. LIDE collaborates with researchers around the world to work on problems involving the environmental transmission of disease from human and agricultural sources.

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.

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month and to celebrate great childhoods, Clayton County Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, in conjunction with Helping Services for Youth and Families, Clayton County Collaboration Council, SASC, Riverview Center, Crisis Intervention Service, and HAWC Partnerships for Children are offering this FREE event for families!

Families with children of all ages are invited for the 3rd Annual Family Bowling Night at C.J. Lanes in Elkader.

Free open bowling and shoe rentals will be provided, as well as snacks, games, and family resources.

There is no registration required, and families are welcome to arrive at any time. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Questions? Call or text Shelby at (563) 380-1300 or shenkelman@helpingservices.org

 “Confessions of a Gay Catholic” — coming to Decorah! $10 TICKETS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE AT ONEOTA COMMUNITY COOP or from Shirley Vermace & Ruth Jenkins – limited seating, get your tickets early!

Writer/performer Joe Jennison will bring his one-man show “Confessions of a Gay Catholic” to The Lingonberry, 218 West Water Street in downtown Decorah on Friday, April 27 at 7pm. Tickets are $10 and are available at Oneota Coop or at the door the night of the event.  

The play is a series of true stories that track Jennison’s relationship with the Catholic Church, from his earliest memories as a 7-year-old until today. The play ultimately details his reconciliation with the church after 32 years away. The play will be followed by a brief talkback and reception with the actor/writer.

Jennison was born and raised in Iowa, the fourth of five children in a close, loving Catholic family. Despite feeling ostracized by the very church he was baptized in, he continues to attend and advocate for the church he loves. He is the director of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group. “Confessions of a Gay Catholic” is his 25th and most personal play to date.

“In 2011, I had a supernatural experience while attending confession,” said Jennison of his one-man show. “And I started to realize that my own personal story and struggle with my faith and my church is far more interesting than any fictional story I’ve ever written. These stories I tell are personal and true and are written and performed with honesty and love.”

Jennison has been writing and performing plays since 1985. His play “A Beautiful Man” was voted Best Play and Best Comedy at the 2003 San Francisco Fringe Festival. He also won the Dean Goodman Award for Best Play that same year. Some titles of his plays include “The Night I Kissed Osama bin Laden,” “Twinsburg,” “Cedar Rapids Famous” and “My Five Husbands,” and have been performed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Minneapolis. “Confessions of a Gay Catholic” was featured most recently in the Theatre Cedar Rapids Underground Play Festival.

The Friday, April 27, performance and reception at The Lingonberry is open to all, but seating is limited. Advance tickets are available at the Oneota Community Coop in downtown Decorah or contact: Shirley Vermace 563.419.2999 or Ruth Jenkins 319.504.5128.

Lanesboro Community Theatre in cooperation with New Minowa Players will present a multi-media performance, And Then They Came for Me, Remembering the World of Anne Frank. The show weaves together videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with scenes from their lives, recreated by 10 live actors on stage.

Luther College performing ensembles Cantorei and the Luther Ringers will perform a spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Noble Recital Hall of the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music on Luther’s campus.
The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission. Those unable to attend may view the concert live online at stream.luther.edu/music.
Cantorei will perform selections from a variety of genres, including “Confitemini Domini” by Alessandro Constantini; “O Vos Omnes” by Thomas Juneau; “If Ye Love Me” by Thomas Tallis; “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing” by Andrea Ramsey; “Tantum Ergo” by Gabriel Fauré; “Njoktje” by Frode Fjellheim; “Voice Dance” by Greg Jasperse; and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” a traditional Appalachian piece arranged by J. David Moore.
The Luther Ringers’ portion of the concert follows the theme “From Peril to Peace to Joy” taken from the first piece on the program. The piece was composed by 1971 Luther alumnus Lee J. Afdahl who serves as the director of music at First Presbyterian Church in Rochester, Minnesota.
Further works to be performed by Luther Ringers include “Processional in E-flat” by Sandra Eithun; “Prayer for the Innocents” by Michael Helman; “It Is Well With My Soul” and “Beautiful Savior” by Cathy Moklebust; “Blackbird” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, arranged by Sandra K. Tucker; and “Synergy” by Kevin McChesney. “A Canon of Praise” by Natalie Sleeth will be performed as a combined piece by Luther Ringers and Cantorei.

Akwi Nji joins us once again to celebrate the spoken word. Share the stage with your original voices poem (3 min or less of your own poetry) or the Slam (a good natured competition, complete with prizes). Recommended for adults, 16 and up. All poems are welcome, but nature inspired poems are encouraged. Register online. https://goo.gl/forms/hNaupWAKjIWzNF5d2

Tickets are $5-$10 (your choice), and it is free to performers.

Sponsored by Dragonfly Books.

Join in the fun at Pinter’s Gardens & Pumpkins annual Spring Festival and Open House, April 28th and 29th.   

The Spring Festival and Open House is a family tradition in NE Iowa and the surrounding driftless area. The festival is a time for families to visit Pinter’s Gardens and Pumpkins for all their gardening needs. Visitors will find the grounds and greenhouse filled with a vast selection of flowers, vegetable starts, shrubs, and trees for planting. Our staff and the Winneshiek County Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions about gardening and plants. In addition, a weekend of family fun events and specials is planned for all ages.

Visitors on Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29 can register for a chance to win $200.

On Saturday, April 28, at 10:00 a.m., Horticulturist, Jessi Jablonski, will demonstrate how to create a pansy bowl for adults. Students will then create their own pansy bowl. The $18 class includes a 9” bowl, pansies, potting soil, and instructions. Maximum 25 adults. At 2:00 p.m.children will learn how to make an origami environmentally friendly newspaper pot and with the help of Jessi plant a pansy. The children/youth class is free and includes one origami pot, potting soil, pansy, and instructions. Maximum 50 children. Pre-registration is required for both classes at Eventbrite.

Enjoy a kite decorating contest and flying event on Sunday, April 29 at 2:00 p.m. Children will decorate kites from 2-3:00 p.m. $25/$15/$5 gift certificates from Pinter’s Candy & Certificates will be awarded to the top three “Most Creative” kites at 3:00 p.m. Participants are invited to fly their kites in the open field east of the greenhouse. Cost to participate is $5 per child. Maximum 50 kids. Pre-registration is required at Eventbrite.

Enjoy a tasty lunch of a hotdog, chips, applesauce for $4.99 plus drink will be available both days from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Festival and Open Hours:

Saturday, April 28 from 9:00 a.m to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Would you like more peace, more resilience in your life? Would you like tools for greater clarity? Would you like to like you more?

In this class, you will learn: Tools and techniques to create change in
whatever area of your life you are looking for; How to ‘run’ bars; you will
receive two Bars® sessions AND gift 2 sessions. No prerequisites are
required – just the willingness to learn something new. For your $355
You will also receive: A manual full of questions, techniques and a whole
new toolbox of change; Your Access Bars® Practitioner’s Certificate;
On-line resources for support and continued learning. After you
complete the class you will be qualified to give Access Bars® to others
which may include your family, friends and/or clients.

8 NCBTMB CE’s available for Massage Therapists
CE’s available for Social Work and Counseling through NICC
(Ask about Nursing CEs)

Register with NICC Business and Community Solutions
563-557-8271 Ext 380 and at
www.accessconsciousness.com/victoriaoestmann

Friends of Decorah Parks is hosting its first big garlic mustard event of the year.

Help keep our parks beautiful by pulling this invasive weed. We can do it!

Saturday April 28th from 10 am til noon.

Palisades Park, upper parking lot at Palisade Park, near the overlook. From the Flats take the bridge that goes to Quarry Hill Road, and turn right right after the bridge.

Bring gloves, sturdy shoes. Hand trowels or hoes if you have them. We’ll have some available too.

contact: marmax@mchsi.com

James Griesheimer, musicologist, presents “Mozart at His Most Personal: The Piano Concerto.” Can music be a window on biography, politics and social trends? Come and see!

Cost: $5-$10 your choice or one punch

Join Scotty Hendricks on April 28 at 7:00 p.m. for the presentation “Journey to the East: My Observations of Religion in China.” This event will be held at the Lingonberry at 218 W. Water St. in Decorah.

The presentation will include stories and observations of how Chinese religious and cultural practices blend together, are practiced on a daily basis, and exist in a communist regime. The focus will be on the three most visible religious practices in China today—Buddhism, Maoism, and Chinese folk religion in Mainland China. Hendricks will emphasize the situation in Tibet as seen by a foreigner, and he will contrast Mainland China with Macau and Hong Kong, both autonomous territories of China. 

Hendricks is a graduate of Decorah High School with a B.A. from the University of Iowa. He recently spent a year in China teaching the English language. “Having studied philosophy, I was fascinated by how some of the most interesting ideologies and religions blended, conflicted, and harmonized in the eternally evolving Chinese civilization,” Hendricks said. He currently writes out of Chicago for the online knowledge forum BigThink.com.

This presentation is organized by the Decorah Zen Center with thanks to the Tergar Decorah Meditation and Study Group. Contact decorahzencenter@gmail.com with questions.

Three Luther College staff members paired with three students from Luther’s ballroom club go head to head in the annual performance of “Dancing with the Luther Stars.”

Inspired by the popular ABC show, the event returns for the third season to bring excitement and friendly rivalry to the Luther campus at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

Tickets, on sale in Luther’s Ticket Office, are $5, and may be purchased online at www.tickets.luther.edu or via the Luther Ticket Office, (563) 387-1357 or tickets@luther.edu. Ticket Office hours are 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.

Dancing With Luther Stars is a ballroom dance performance organized by Luther College Ballroom and Swing Club. The student organized show features three staffs from Luther College: Bradley B. Phillips from the ticket office, Erin Zidlicky from Technology Help Desk, and Justin Scardina from Sodexo Luther Cafeteria. The three stars started from zero experience, devoted five months to learn ballroom dance and will perform and compete for the 1st place on April 28th, on the stage of Center For Faith and Life, Luther College. They will partner with three students, Kjerstin Nelson, Jason Sczypiorski, and Natalie Wade, respectively. The three students from Luther College Ballroom and Swing Club worked closely with the three stars and mentored them throughout the five months.
Come to Center for Faith and Life on April 28th at 7:30 pm for a night of sassy moves and contagious passion.
Free for Luther College students with CAF. The admission fee for community members and Luther students without CAF is $5.

Let us delight your appetite with our brunch in Peace Dining Room on selected Sundays. Be our guest as you enjoy this delicious event while admiring the view to the west of the beautiful, meandering Upper Iowa River.

Bill of Fare
Rotating Crepe Bar/Made to Order Omelets Bar
Rotating Waffle/Pancake/French Toast Bar with Toppings
Scrambled Eggs & Weekly Specialty Eggs
Sausage & Bacon
Rotating Carved Meat Station with Accompanying Starch & Vegetable
Hash Browns
Assorted Cheeses
Fresh Fruit
Yogurt
Assorted Breakfast Pastries
Delicious Cakes, Pies & Desserts from the Norse Bakery
Location and Hours
Peace Dining Room
Dahl Centennial Union (2nd Level)
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Prices
Adult $14.50
Children 5-10 $6.75
Children 1-4 Free
Luther Students $12.00
Reservations are encouraged for all Peace Brunch Sundays. Call 563-387-1514 to make reservations.

Join Winneshiek County Conservation staff in walking the woods to see what spring wildflowers have finally emerged after the long winter and searching for other signs that spring has at last arrived.

The event is free and no registration is required.

Please meet at the East parking lot above the boat ramp. Participants should wear clothes and shoes appropriate for a muddy trail.

For more information, visit www.winneshiekwild.com or call (563) 534-7145.

Luther College will host the Lucille Stansberry Rosholt Distinction in Accompanying and Collaborative Keyboard Performance Scholarship recital at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 29 in the Noble Recital Hall in Jenson-Noble Hall of Music on the Luther campus. The recital will be followed by an award ceremony and reception. The concert and reception are open to the public with no charge for admission. The recital features performances by two pianists for the $1,250 scholarship. Each finalist will perform a 15-20 minute program of instrumental and vocal music that demonstrates his or her collaborative skills.

Oneota Valley Community Orchestra
“Russian Romantics”
At Decorah High School Auditorium
Sunday, April 29th at 3:00 pm
Season Sponsors: The Marion E. Jerome Foundation and The Depot Outlet

The community is invited to join the Oneota Valley Community Orchestra for their Season 4 finale concert on Sunday, April 29th at 3:00 pm. The OVCO will feature impressive works by famous Russian composers Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Tchaikovsky. This free concert will take place at Decorah High School Auditorium.

Guest lecturer Joshua Palkki will address how gender stereotypes appear in choral classrooms as well as musical and social issues involving LGBTQ students in ensembles at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29, in Valders room 206 on the Luther College campus.

The lecture, “Creating Safe Space in the Music Classroom,” is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Palkki is a member of the faculty of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, where he leads the University Choir, teaches courses in music education (including choral repertoire and pedagogy), interfaces with the College of Education and mentors graduate students in music education. Palkki is passionate about teacher education and preparing preservice teachers to be competent and caring teachers with the knowledge and skills to address issues of social justice through music education.

Palkki’s writing appears in the Choral Journal, Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, Journal of Research in Music Education, Research and Issues in Music Education and Research Studies in Music Education. Palkki currently serves on the editorial board for two journals: TOPICS and New Directions in Music Education. In addition, Palkki curates http://www.queeringchoir.com/, an online resource regarding LBGTQ issues in choral music education.

This lecture is sponsored by the Luther College Lecture and Fine Arts Series.

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.

Children 18 months to 3 years of age (with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver) are invited to join us for lively stories, classic songs, and finger plays in the Public Program Room of the library. Older and younger siblings are welcome to attend. Families are encouraged to stay and play for an additional 1/2 hour after story time. Toys courtesy of Toys Go ‘Round.

For additional information, please contact Joan Roach, Children’s and Youth Librarian, at jroach@decorah.lib.ia.us or (563)382-3717.

This class will take Master Builder’s ideas and bring them to life by building a 2 ft x 2 ft x 2ft, Rube Goldberg machine that actually functions! There will be a common goal for the machine but each one will take on the unique design of the sculptor- that’s YOU! A mix of LEGOs, pulleys, pipes and more.

Time: Mondays, 3:15-5:00pm
Instructors: Jane Busch

Register by March 17: $65 $25 materials ($5.40 an hour)
Register after March 17: $75 $25 materials ($6.25 an hour)

The classic silent film “Metropolis” will spring to life with a newly composed musical score by students at Luther College. Directed by Brooke Joyce, Luther composer-in-residence and associate professor of music, the original film will be shown with their original electronic score at 9 p.m. Monday, April 30, in the Recital Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther campus.
The event is open to the public with no charge for admission.
The featured composers include first-years Taizo Heimer, Jacob Southerland and Peter Stelter, sophomores Troy Downey and Emily Stifter, juniors John Kuntz and Caleb Linville, and seniors Zane Larson, Andrew Murray and Hunter Prueger. All are students of Brooke Joyce.
First released in Germany in 1927, “Metropolis” is considered one of the earliest and finest examples of the science-fiction film genre, spawning many imitations over the years. With its stylized sets, iconic imagery and allegorical plot, the film influenced generations of subsequent filmmakers.
Each of the 10 composers involved in the project composed a portion of the score, using a set of common leitmotifs, recurring themes associated with a particular image, and musical ideas that were produced by the group as a whole. The entire musical score was realized using both recorded and synthesized sounds.
This is the third such silent film project undertaken at Luther, the other projects being “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (2014) and “Nosferatu” (2010). For more information about the composition program at Luther, visit http://www.luther.edu/composition.
Luther is home to one of the largest collegiate music programs in the nation with six choirs, three bands, three orchestras, two jazz bands and more than 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.

Dragonfly Books is thrilled to celebrate Children’s Book Week and Screen-Free Week with Winneshiek County Conservation! On Tuesday, May 1 at 3:30 pm, children of all ages and families are invited to Phelps Park for stories with Dragonfly Books, outdoor activities with Lilly Jensen from Winneshiek County Conservation, and a special guest — Pete the Cat!

Children will have the opportunity to meet Pete the Cat, go on a scavenger hunt, make a nature mask, and other fun outdoor activities.

This event is sponsored by Dragonfly Books and Winneshiek County Conservation. It will take place at Phelps Park in Decorah and is free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Dragonfly Books, 112 W. Water St., Decorah.

April showers bring everlasting May flowers. A beginning class exploring the Venetian art of making faux flowers with tiny class beads and wire. Learn basic techniques to create leaves and petals that will be assembled into everlasting floral stems. A minimum of 6 students are needed to hold the class.

Dates: April 3 – May 8
Time: Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm
Instructor: Marcia Cook

Register by March 17: $65 $25 ($5.40 an hour)
Register after March 17: $75 $25 materials ($6.20 an hour)

Longtime anchor of ABC News’ Nightline, Ted Koppel, will give Luther College’s 2018 Roslien Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, in Luther’s Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.
The lecture, “Science and Policy: Communication in the Twenty-First-Century World of Fake News,” is open to the public with no charge for admission. A question and answer session will follow the lecture.
Koppel’s lecture discusses the issue of science information, public policy and “fake news” as a communication black hole that must be addressed with priority for the world to have a chance of making critical decisions about issues that will greatly affect the future of the youth of today. His experience and credibility informing the public about many issues of critical importance over the course of his broadcast career makes him a natural for this discussion.
In addition to the lecture, Koppel will engage with students, hold a press session and have signed books available for public purchase.
Koppel became the longest-serving news anchor in U.S. broadcast history over the course of his 26 years as anchor and managing editor of Nightline. After 42 years with ABC News, Koppel was the most honored reporter in the network’s history with eight Peabody Awards and 42 Emmy Awards—including one for lifetime achievement. Koppel has been awarded 12 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards—the Pulitzer Prize of television. He has also garnered 11 Overseas Press Club Awards, which is one more than the previous record holder and Koppel’s mentor, Edward R. Murrow.
In addition to his air time with ABC, Koppel has served as a contributing columnist for the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, and senior contributor to the CBS Sunday Morning Show. Since 2005 he has served as managing editor of the Discovery Channel, as a news analyst for BBC America, as a special correspondent for Rock Center, and continues to function as commentator and nonfiction book critic for National Public Radio.
His most recent book, “Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath,” was released in 2016 and quickly became a New York Times’ best-seller. He is also the author of “Off Camera,” another NYT best-seller. He co-authored “Nightline: History in the Making and the Making of Television,” with Kyle Gibson, and his first book “Estonian Army Uniforms and Insignia 1936-1944,” with Fred Limberg.
Koppel, the son of German-Jewish refugees, came to the United States when he was 13, and became an American citizen 10 years later. He holds degrees from Syracuse University and Stanford University.
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.

Kindergarten to second grade students are invited to learn about saving energy, sustainability, and healthy eating. During this 6 week program, kids will engage in fun, hands-on activities to learn about how to be environmental stewards. Parents should drop children off at Oneota Co-op Kitchen Classroom at 7:30am, students who attend John Cline Elementary School will be escorted to school by 8:50am via walking school bus. Those who attend St. Ben’s or are homeschooled should be picked up by parents by 8:35am.

Taught by Green Iowa AmeriCorps Members Ashley Lookenhouse and Hannah Haugen, this is a FREE hands-on class with a limit of 10 students. Call 563-382-4666, or register online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve a place.

Thank you for your patience and understanding with the rescheduling of this performance. We will do our best to make it worth the wait!

An intimate (and fun) night of music, stories and laughter is coming to Decorah. Live at the Lingonberry, it’s Mike Munson and the Avey/Grouws Duo! Wednesday night, May 2 from 7 to 9. BYOB and enjoy an opportunity to hear homegrown music in a beautiful listening room. Tickets are $8 in advance at the Oneota Community Coop starting 4/10 and $10 at the door. Big thanks go to RocketDog Books and FM 100.5 for sponsoring this event.

Yes, it’s a Wednesday. That day doesn’t get enough love.

Mike Munson
– “Munson’s too-good-to-be-true slide guitar and wry delivery give [these] cuts an irresistible swagger.” Hymies Vintage Records, Minneapolis
– “The only complaint I ever have about his sets is that they come to an end. Mike (the man and musician) exudes quality.” Ed Hoffman, Owner of Ed’s(no name) Bar, Winona
Making his home in the Mississippi River town of Winona, Minnesota, Mike Munson is well known for playing slide guitar blues. The driving rhythms in his songs are reminiscent of the trains that barrel through his neighborhood. Munson makes regular appearances throughout the Midwest, and is currently working on his third release following a debut studio recording and the acclaimed “Live at Ed’s” releases in 2014. Mike Munson, along with
Mikkel Beckman, represented the state of Minnesota in the Solo/Duo category of the 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Avey/Grouws Duo
Chris Avey and Jeni Grouws are the leaders of the Iowa Blues Challenge winners, Avey/Grouws Band. The Avey/Grouws Duo formed after the two met at a blues jam in the Quad Cities. Chris Avey has been called a ‘younger, more fiery Coco Montoya’ and captivates audiences with his incredible skill on both electric and acoustic guitar, his gritty growl and his sense of humor. Jeni Grouws has been called a ‘shooting star’ with a voice that is like ‘a choir of angels on a runaway train’. The duo has penned original music with a Roots/Americana feel, and they continue to reinterpret songs they love. Chris Avey and Jeni Grouws have spent the last 2 years playing festivals such as Hambone Music Festival, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival and Prairie Dog Blues Fest, as well as bars and music joints across the Midwest. The band just released the EP “Avey/Grouws Band: Road to Memphis”. The Avey/Grouws Band just returned from a Semi Finals finish at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Michael Smith, Luther College assistant professor of music, will give a faculty tenor and bass trombone recital with collaborating pianist Du Huang, Luther professor of music, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, in the Noble Recital Hall of Luther’s Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.

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.

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.

The Luther College Jazz Band will perform their spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3, in the Main Hall of Luther’s Center for Faith and Life.
The concert is open to the public with no charge for admission. It will also be available via livestream at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/luthermusic/.
The concert program features “Cottontail” by Duke Ellington, a piece based on the same chords as Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm.” The band will perform “The Peanut Vendor” by Cuban composer Moises Simons, “Tickletoe” by Lester Young and the swing ballad “Kids are Pretty People” by Thad Jones. Rounding out the concert, jazz band will also play a piece arranged by Al Cohn and jazz standards composed by Neal Hefti, Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus.
The Luther jazz combo Free Time is featured on a lyrical waltz referencing the California town Bolinas, “Hullo Bolinas” by Steve Swallow.
Directed by Jon Ailabouni, adjunct faculty in music, the Luther College Jazz Band is a 20-member group that performs throughout the academic year, including Family Weekend, Homecoming Jazz Night at Marty’s and a formal concert each semester. Jazz Band introduces students to the jazz traditions of swing, contemporary jazz and new compositions.
A trumpeter, jazz musician, and educator, 2010 Luther graduate Jon Ailabouni received a Master of Music from Western Michigan University. Ailabouni has toured internationally in France, Puerto Rico and Brazil, in addition to domestic festivals and conferences. He also enjoys collaborating on interdisciplinary works featuring his compositions with authors, choreographers and actors. At Luther, Ailabouni directs the Luther College Jazz Band, jazz combo program and teaches improvisation, jazz theory and arranging, jazz history, studio improvisation and trumpet lessons.
Luther is home to one of the largest undergraduate music programs in the nation with six choirs, three bands, three orchestras, two jazz bands and nearly 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.

The Luther College Theatre Department will present David Adjmi’s play “Marie Antoinette” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3; Friday, May 11; and Saturday, May 12; and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Jewel Theatre of Luther’s Center for the Arts.
Tickets for the performance are $10 and can be purchased at tickets.luther.edu or via the Luther Ticket Office, (563) 387-1357 or boxoffice@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.-3p.m.; with extended hours on Thursdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Adjmi’s contemporary take on the life of the young queen of France highlights the ideals and pressures of society in 1776 that shaped Marie Antoinette’s historical image as a frivolous woman.
The lighthearted and witty tone of the play takes a dark turn as revolution threatens Marie Antoinette’s sheltered life. With social commentary that challenges modern viewers, “Marie Antoinette” forces the audience to question what is necessary for a fulfilling life.
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.

The Luther College Dance Department will present their spring show “Soil Turning” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4; Saturday, May 5; and Thursday, May 10, and at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12, in Luther’s Jewel Theatre in the Center for the Arts.
The performance is open to the public with no charge for admission.
Choreographed by Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre, visiting assistant professor of dance, the show “Soil Turning” is inspired by exploring the identities of thirteen performers including a social activist, a philosopher and cultural theorist and a writer.
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation of various types such as digging, stirring and overturning. The audience may experience their own creative and academic tillage as they reflect on factors that play a role in defining identity.
As engaged scholars and citizens, the performers and the audience share in the message of moving away from assumptions based on stereotypes to the notion that identity is fluid and shifts throughout one’s life.
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.

Visit our plant sale to discover rare family heirlooms and historic varieties to plant and grow in your garden. Visit https://www.seedsavers.org/heritage-farm-plant-sale for a full list of available plants.

Dragonfly Books is thrilled to celebrate Children’s Book Week with local children’s author and illustrator Katherine Hannigan. Hannigan will lead two free events at Dragonfly Books, including Illustration for Kids at 10:00 AM and a story time at 10:35 AM on Saturday, May 5.

On May 5th, Children ages 5 are invited to join Dragonfly Books for a morning of illustration and instruction at 10:00 AM. Hannigan will lead kids through simple methods of drawing to create fun illustrations of their own. This event is free and no registration is required.

At 10:35 AM, children of all ages and families are invited for a special story time with Katherine Hannigan. Hannigan will pull children into imaginative worlds with her entertaining stories and vibrant illustrations.

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.

Dragonfly Books is thrilled to celebrate Children’s Book Week with local children’s author and illustrator Katherine Hannigan. Hannigan will lead two free events at Dragonfly Books, including Illustration for Kids at 10:00 AM and a story time at 10:35 AM on Saturday, May 5.

On May 5th, Children ages 5 are invited to join Dragonfly Books for a morning of illustration and instruction at 10:00 AM. Hannigan will lead kids through simple methods of drawing to create fun illustrations of their own. This event is free and no registration is required.

At 10:35 AM, children of all ages and families are invited for a special story time with Katherine Hannigan. Hannigan will pull children into imaginative worlds with her entertaining stories and vibrant illustrations.

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.

The Spring Grove Public Library sponsors this free event monthly- the first Thursday. It is hosted at the Spring Grove Cinema right across from the library. Each month we offer an award winning film from a different country. Most are adult content and have subtitles. Please call the library if you have any questions, 507-498-5800

With chart topping hits like “Take It All Back” and “Suit and Jacket,” bluegrass-hip hop-rock band Judah & the Lion are touring the U.S. and will make a stop in Decorah to perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in Luther College’s Regents Center. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for the performance are $40 and can be purchased at tickets.luther.edu or via the Luther Ticket Office, (563) 387-1357 or boxoffice@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.
Members of Judah & the Lion grew up in separate regions of the United States, listening to diverse genres of music. Coming to Tennessee for college brought the band members and their love of folk, hip-hop, rock and roll and pop music together. Comprised of front man Judah Akers, mandolin player Brian Macdonald and banjo player Nate Zuercher, Judah & the Lion “wanted to make something raw, something with attitude… so why not make an album that has the grit of Run DMC or Beastie Boys, along with all the folk instruments that we play?” Playing more than 150 shows in 2015 alone, the group has tried to remain an independent band whose success has come through touring. The tour stop in Decorah will open with a performance by singer-songwriter Billy Raffoul.
Named iHeartRadio’s Artist on the Verge, for their single “Take It All Back,” the band began to climb the charts of alternative radio. At the beginning of 2017, they topped the charts for three weeks. In early 2017, Judah & the Lion, recorded four new songs for the Going to Mars Collection. A recent release Suit and Jacket debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2017 and again topped the alternative charts. Touring in 2018, the group released the new single “Going to Mars” in February.
Sharing stages with artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Ben Rector and Incubus, the group cares about the experience they give the audience. “We throw an absolute rage. And all the songs were made with that in mind. They’re fun, carefree, and youthful, and we live our lives that way, too.”
The performance is sponsored by Luther’s Student Activities Council Concerts 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.

Let us delight your appetite with our brunch in Peace Dining Room on selected Sundays. Be our guest as you enjoy this delicious event while admiring the view to the west of the beautiful, meandering Upper Iowa River.

Bill of Fare
Rotating Crepe Bar/Made to Order Omelets Bar
Rotating Waffle/Pancake/French Toast Bar with Toppings
Scrambled Eggs & Weekly Specialty Eggs
Sausage & Bacon
Rotating Carved Meat Station with Accompanying Starch & Vegetable
Hash Browns
Assorted Cheeses
Fresh Fruit
Yogurt
Assorted Breakfast Pastries
Delicious Cakes, Pies & Desserts from the Norse Bakery
Location and Hours
Peace Dining Room
Dahl Centennial Union (2nd Level)
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Prices
Adult $14.50
Children 5-10 $6.75
Children 1-4 Free
Luther Students $12.00
Reservations are encouraged for all Peace Brunch Sundays. Call 563-387-1514 to make reservations.

A delicious & fun community event! Make plans to join us at Hotel Winneshiek in Decorah on Sunday, May 6th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for Empty Bowls – Decorah 2018. For a $20 donation, you receive a simple meal of soup and bread, and you leave with a unique bowl of your choice. All proceeds benefit local programs to alleviate hunger. If you are interested in volunteering during the event, please contact neipjc@gmail.com.

United States Representative Eric Swalwell will visit Decorah on Sunday, May 6, 2018, from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m., at Pulpit Rock Brewery, to keynote a major fundraising effort for the Iowa Democratic Party. The Iowa native, who now represents California’s 15th district, is ranking member of the House CIA Intelligence Subcommittee and a member of the House Judiciary Committee. He plays a key role in Washington and is a frequent contributor to news programs.

Becky and Peter Olafsen, local coordinators of the congressman’s Decorah visit, issued the following statement: “Eric Swalwell is coming to share in our rural progressive energy. As a young man, he speaks for a new generation of Democrats.”

Democrats from Northeast Iowa are invited to meet Swalwell and hear his upbeat message about the 2018 elections. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price and First Vice-chair Andrea Phillips will also attend the event. Democrats can enjoy a beverage furnished by the Iowa Democratic Party and an appetizer provided by the Winneshiek County Democrats.

Join Dan Bussey, one of America’s premier apple experts, for a special Norwegian apple-grafting workshop!

We were inspired to offer this workshop by Knud Knudsen’s incredible black and white photos of orchards that you can see in the exhibit Rocks and Hard Places: Emigration through the Lens of Knud Knudsen, open now at Vesterheim through September 23.

Workshop participants will learn how to graft three Norwegian apple varieties, which they can bring home to start their own orchards. The workshop is free, but you must register in advance. Space is limited, so call 563-382-9681 to reserve a spot today!

Bussey, widely regarded as one of America’s leading apple historians, regularly lectures on apple history and teaches grafting workshops all over the country. He recently completed publishing The Illustrated History of Apples of the United States and Canada, a seven volume encyclopedia of apples in North America.

This class will take Master Builder’s ideas and bring them to life by building a 2 ft x 2 ft x 2ft, Rube Goldberg machine that actually functions! There will be a common goal for the machine but each one will take on the unique design of the sculptor- that’s YOU! A mix of LEGOs, pulleys, pipes and more.

Time: Mondays, 3:15-5:00pm
Instructors: Jane Busch

Register by March 17: $65 $25 materials ($5.40 an hour)
Register after March 17: $75 $25 materials ($6.25 an hour)

Seeking connection with an LGBTQ community? Come to our second Tuesday of May gathering at Java John’s. Starts at 5:30. Come when you can and leave when you must. Look for us at the table at the back.

Kids, teens, and college students welcome as well as adults. Not matter where you are at in terms of questioning and coming out or how you identify we want to be a supportive group for you.

April showers bring everlasting May flowers. A beginning class exploring the Venetian art of making faux flowers with tiny class beads and wire. Learn basic techniques to create leaves and petals that will be assembled into everlasting floral stems. A minimum of 6 students are needed to hold the class.

Dates: April 3 – May 8
Time: Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm
Instructor: Marcia Cook

Register by March 17: $65 $25 ($5.40 an hour)
Register after March 17: $75 $25 materials ($6.20 an hour)

Kindergarten to second grade students are invited to learn about saving energy, sustainability, and healthy eating. During this 6 week program, kids will engage in fun, hands-on activities to learn about how to be environmental stewards. Parents should drop children off at Oneota Co-op Kitchen Classroom at 7:30am, students who attend John Cline Elementary School will be escorted to school by 8:50am via walking school bus. Those who attend St. Ben’s or are homeschooled should be picked up by parents by 8:35am.

Taught by Green Iowa AmeriCorps Members Ashley Lookenhouse and Hannah Haugen, this is a FREE hands-on class with a limit of 10 students. Call 563-382-4666, or register online at http://oneotacoop.com/education-events/ to reserve a place.

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting three book discussions in May. All 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 Happy Hour Book Group will meet at Rubaiyat Wed. May 9 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Jeff VanderMeer’s “Borne.” In a ruined, nameless city of the future, a woman named Rachel, who makes her living as a scavenger, finds a creature she names “Borne”—discarded, perhaps, by the biotech organization known as the Company. She resents the attachment she feels to Borne; attachments are traps, and in this world any weakness can kill you. Meanwhile, Rachel finds evidence that her partner, Wick, is keeping secrets from her. What is he hiding? And why won’t he tell her about what happened when he worked for the Company?

For more information, contact Kristin Torresdal (Happy Hour and History Book Groups) at 563-382-3717 or Carmen Buss (Friday Book Group) at cbuss@decorah.lib.ia.us.

Monthly Flyer - FINAL

Parenting in Today’s Sexual Climate  Being an “Ask-able” Adult
Information • Conversation • Communication

We are a group of parents concerned for children’s health and sexual well-being who have organized a series of workshops. Professionally facilitated, these workshops are meant to empower parents and caregivers of children to talk with their kids about health and sexuality. The focus is on body positivity, decision-making, and having a healthy understanding of themselves and their relationships with others. These monthly parent-oriented workshops* are being offered at no charge, September thru May, on the second Wednesday of the month from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at Decorah Middle School.

*Inspired by the nationally recognized program of lifespan sexuality education, Our Whole Lives (OWL), which offers curricula for all ages       http://www.uua.org/re/owl

Children frequently have misinformation about health, sexuality, drugs, and other critical topics. This program will help parents talk honestly and openly with their children to provide sound and accurate information.

We live in a time when kids of all ages are bombarded with age-sensitive material wherever they turn; “sexting” and bullying are on the rise at an increasingly younger age, and teen moms are “celebrified.” What is a concerned – and embarrassed – parent to do?

This program provides strategies to navigate this tricky terrain for any parent who wants to become and remain the most credible and influential resource about sexuality in their children’s lives. Parents and caregivers will gain skills to talk with their children about health and sexuality with body positivity. A part of wellness, something Decorah is well known for, this will assist boys and girls in having a healthy understanding of themselves and their relationships with others.

Questions? Contact Michelle Bloom Hockersmith at letstalkdecorah@gmail.com or 563.419.0990

• What we’ll do
Interested in taking your mastery of manual camera controls to the next level? Practice photography techniques while visiting three beautiful locations. You will learn to use long-exposures for otherworldly effects, take low-light photos for unique perspectives on common landscapes, and capture the quick motion of a bird or a waterfall with tack-sharp detail. Gain first-hand experience in advanced photographic techniques, and go home with beautiful photos worthy of display.

• What to bring
It is recommended that you have basic experience with manual controls. If you would like to learn manual, sign up for Manual Photography 101 beforehand. This class requires a tripod and a camera with manual controls. A DSLR or mirror-less interchangeable-lens camera is recommended. For questions about cameras prior to class, please email: nick@nickchillphotography.com.

• Important to know
A registration fee of $79 is required, with Northeast Iowa Community College (http://bit.ly/2DMpiyo). Class will be held every Thursday, from May 10th to May 24th.

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.

Members of the Postville community will observe the 10th Anniversary of the Postville Immigration Raid on May 11.

On May 12, 2008, 389 people were arrested in an immigration raid at Agriprocessors, the main producer of kosher meat in the United States. The raid was the largest single-site immigration raid at the time in the history of the United States.

The organizers of the event hope to end the ‘Summons’ of 2018 as a change of heart and a change in the United States’ immigration laws.

During May 11, the day will begin with an Interfaith Prayer Service at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Postville at 10 a.m. The church was where family members and immigrants gathered after the raid. The service will include people affected by the raid, lawyers, church representatives who ministered to the immigrants and their families, and others who are concerned about immigration reform.

At 11:30 a.m., participants will walk to Meyer Park, which is near the site of the 2008 raid. At noon they will hold a rally to discuss immigration.

Join in the fun as Winneshiek County Habitat for Humanity holds its “blitz build” to raise the walls of its 31st home on Saturday, May 12, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at 435 Pike Street in Ridgeway, Iowa. Construction will continue after the “blitz build” each Tuesday and Saturday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm until further notice. The partner family for this home is Rachel Blake (and her three children). Donations of food for volunteers are always welcome and appreciated. For more information, contact Gus Johnson, executive director, at 382-1802 or wchfh1@gmail.com.

Come practice yoga with the goats at Driftless Traditions Farm! Instructor Laura Ollendick will lead a 45 minute yoga session filled with restorative poses and adorable baby goats. Wear comfortable clothes, suitable for an outside class, and bring a water bottle. Yoga mats are optional, but recommended. Please refrain from wearing loose jewelry, as baby goats are extremely fashionable and will make your bling a part of their wardrobe! Tiny baby goats will happily give smooches, and jump on your back to join in the fun! Class price is $25 per student, all fees included. No prior yoga experience is required. Ages 14 and up only, please.

This class is perfect for individuals, couples, groups, and an early Mother’s Day celebration!

Two sessions: May 12 & 19 ($25 each)

11:45 Meet the Goats

12:00 Goat Yoga

12:45 Selfies & Refreshments

1:00 Optional Driftless Traditions Farm Tour

Register at GoatYogaDecorah.eventbrite.com

Join us for Decorah Pride on May 12, 2018! The Parade kicks off at 2:00pm at Mary Christopher Park. The parade will proceed west down Water Street, ending at Water Street Park for a Party in the Park from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Then from 6-10pm a fun filled dance party at the Lingonberry and at Pulpit Rock Brewery for 21 !

Lanesboro Arts presents “Summer Rain,” a new production with music developed and performed by Zeitgeist and composer/veena virtuoso Nirmala Rajasekar, at the St. Mane Theatre in Lanesboro on Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. A blend of Indian Classical music (Carnatic tradition) and Western classical new music, SUMMER RAIN features five musical compositions interspersed with discussion and interactive opportunities designed to bring audiences a greater understanding of the two traditions.

For millennia, the sharing of music has been a natural, joy-filled means for peoples of different cultures to grow in their understanding of one another and increase the artistic possibilities of each practice. For musicians, the pull to increase their palette by exploring new timbres, melodic structures, and rhythms is absolutely irresistible, and the rich results of cross-cultural musical sharing can be traced throughout our human history.

Zeitgeist and Nirmala Rajasekar felt that irresistable pull several years ago, during a five-day workshop devoted to the development of new work. The result was Thillana Shuffle, a work that features Western and Indian drumming and improvisation by each of the ensemble members. As their collaboration has continued, more works have ensued, including Summer Rain, written by Rajasekar, and Morning Dew, written by her daughter, Shruthi. Sublime Journey was composed by Rajasekar for a world-wide tour featuring both Carnatic and Hindustani musicians. Taken with the work, Zeitgeist member Pat O’Keefe made an arrangement for Rajasekar and Zeitgeist, adding Western influences to the Carnatic and Hindustani mix. Knowing that music has a profound place in our spiritual worlds, they created an arrangement of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, a traditional Indian devotional song much favored by Ghandi. Together, this collection of works makes up the musical evening, “Summer Rain.” “Summer Rain” celebrates our differences, delves deeply into our common ground, and creates a new musical experience for our audiences and musicians.

Nirmala Rajasekar began her training in Veena at age 6 from well-known practitioners such as Sri Deva Kottai Narayana Iyengar and Smt. Kamala Aswathama. After moving to Bangalore, she learned at the Gana Mandira School in Basavangudi Smt. G Chennama and Smt. E. P. Alamelu. The violinist Vidwan Sri A. D. Zachariah also guided her, and she began her career as a soloist at age 13. Later in Chennai, she was guided by the revered veena vidushi for Smt.Kalpakam Swaminathan who passed away on April 6 2011. Nirmala trained with her for nearly 30 years. Her vocal Gurus are Sri B.Sitarama Sarma and Sri T.R. Subramanyam. Nirmala travels around the world teaching and performing Carnatic Music vocally and on her veena She is an active collaborator with other forms of art as well including western Classical music, Jazz, Chinese poetry. She is the artistic director of the school Naadha Rasa (Essence of Tone), Center for Music.

Lauded for providing “a once-in-a-lifetime experience for adventurous concertgoers,” Zeitgeist is a new music chamber ensemble comprised of two percussion, piano and woodwinds. One of the longest established new music groups in the country, Zeitgeist commissions and presents a wide variety of new music for audiences in the Twin Cities and on tour. Always eager to explore new artistic frontiers, Zeitgeist collaborates with poets, choreographers, directors, visual artists and sound artists of all types to create imaginative new work that challenges the boundaries of traditional chamber music. The members of Zeitgeist are: Heather Barringer, percussion; Patti Cudd, percussion; Pat O’Keefe, woodwinds; and Nicola Melville piano.

For 10 years you have been supporting the arts in Decorah. Come celebrate creativity and community in our biggest bash yet. We will bring together art patrons and local artists for a fun evening of food, live music, and fine art. Complete with artistic birthday cakes!

May 13, 2018

1st Seating: 9:00 a.m.
2nd Seating: 11:00 a.m.
3rd Seating: 1:00 p.m.

Dahl Centennial Union, Peace Dining Room

Start things off right on Mother’s Day — by spoiling mom with a sweet and savory brunch buffet and a cocktail or two! Enjoy a fresh and innovative menu with all of your favorites, and then some, that mom is sure to enjoy. Plus, you can’t beat the view in the Peace Dining Room.

Important Reminder, you must pay ahead of time with the Box Office for Mother’s Day Brunch and make a reservation so we can ensure to accommodate everyone.

Treat your mothers to Mother’s Day Brunch, you won’t regret it!

Phone:
563-387-1357
or 800-4 LUTHER
(800-458-8437)

Email:
boxoffice@luther.edu

This class will take Master Builder’s ideas and bring them to life by building a 2 ft x 2 ft x 2ft, Rube Goldberg machine that actually functions! There will be a common goal for the machine but each one will take on the unique design of the sculptor- that’s YOU! A mix of LEGOs, pulleys, pipes and more.

Time: Mondays, 3:15-5:00pm
Instructors: Jane Busch

Register by March 17: $65 $25 materials ($5.40 an hour)
Register after March 17: $75 $25 materials ($6.25 an hour)

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 longtime Decorah resident Craig Mosher to learn about Prairie Hill, a new cohousing community in Iowa City. This intentional community helps its residents live sustainably through sustainable design and community. Please tell us your coming by Friday, May 11th. You can RSVP at energydistrict.org/breakfast/

Energy Breakfasts hosted by the Winneshiek Energy District are held every third Tuesday of the month at T-Bock’s Sports bar and Grill.