Winneshiek Medical Center is pleased to welcome Bethany Stevens, ARNP. Bethany will be providing advanced wound care to patients in the new Wound Center located in the North Building on the WMC campus in Decorah. WMC anticipates the Wound Center will be open to patients in January.
The Wound Center is a specialized service offering patients access to the latest techniques and procedures for the best chance for healing wounds in an outpatient setting. Along with Bethany, care will be provided by Dr. Schwickerath, who is a board certified wound specialist physician in addition to her general surgery specialty at WMC. Dr. Schwickerath achieved this certification through the American Board of Wound Management.
Bethany received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner from Allen College in Waterloo, IA. Since 2015, she has been providing wound care to patients in Independence, IA at Buchanan County Health Center.
“I’m looking forward to expanding this specialty service to our region,” shares Bethany. “I have seen first-hand the stress and burden carried by those living with a chronic wound. And I have also witnessed the impact that wound healing brings. That’s why I chose this specialty — to help patients heal and get back to living again.”
To learn more about the services and treatment modalities at Winneshiek Medical Center’s new Wound Center visit WMC Wound Center or call 563-382-2911.
1-Winter Break Reading Challenge Ends 6-Baby Dance Party 10-Take-and-Make: MLK Luminaries* 10-Dog Tales 10-Open Gym at Luther 11-Cozy Storytime 11-Winter Field Trip* 13-Family Yoga at Driftless Yoga Center 13- Bookwalk at Phelps Park Begins 17-Take-and-Make: Popsicle Stick Sled* 17-Open Gym at Luther 18-Cozy Storytime 18-Winter Field Trip* 20-Family Yoga at Driftless Yoga Center 24-Take-and-Make: Ice Ornament* 24-Open Gym at Luther 24-Dog Tales 25-Cozy Storytime 25-Winter Field Trip* 27- Family Yoga at Driftless Yoga Center 27-Bookwalk at Phelps Park Ends 31-Take-and-Make: Moon Calendar* 31- Open Gym at Luther
Decorah Public Library is hosting Dr. Dan Davis to share his experience searching for American MIAs in marine wreckage. His presentation, called “History in Practice: The Search and Recovery of American MIAs from Underwater Environments,” will detail his efforts to locate, document, and recover American service members from submerged aircraft from World War II. The program will take place at the library on Wednesday, January 25 at 6 PM.
Dr. Dan Davis is an associate professor of Classics in the department of History at Luther College. Dan has nearly three decades of underwater fieldwork experience from all over the world, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, and Black Sea. His research interests include maritime history, ancient navigation, ship construction, harbor archaeology, and the archaeology of submerged World War II aircraft. His talk at the library will focus on past and current projects, as well as the technologies being used to locate and identify human remains underwater all over the world. A former deep-sea diver in the U.S. Navy, Dan is considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on deep-water archaeology and benthic exploration.
For more information about this presentation or the series, please contact Zach Row-Heyveld at Decorah Public Library – zrow-heyveld@decorahlibrary.org or by calling 563.382.3717.
To close out our first season of “Rhymes With Decorah” we’re featuring a conversation with Decorah Community Food Pantry director Matt Tapscott and President of the DCFP Board Steven Zittergruen. This incredible resource, based in Decorah, is a faith-based, non-profit charity organization, serving thousands of clients who need food and other basic essentials each year in NE Iowa.
Decorah Community Food Pantry PO Box 26 Decorah, IA 52101
(*Monetary donations are by far the most impactful way to support the organization, as they are able to multiply those donations in bulk purchasing, but staple food donations are always welcome, including; Pasta, Peanut Butter, Flour, Cooking Oil, Sugar, Cereal, Butter, etc. Unopened toiletry and sanitary items are also always welcome donations.)
The Decorah Community Food Pantry offers high quality food for clients at no charge, 5 days a week from their location at 110 Railroad Street (on the “back” side of the Spectrum Network building). The volunteer-driven organization operates through the support and structure of more than 20 area faith communities that have combined forces over the years to provide this incredible regional resource.
The organization originally started as a ministry of First Lutheran Church in 1996 and has grown leaps and bounds since through a collective effort. In 2017 the Food Pantry was incorporated as an independent 501C3 non-profit organization, with a full board of directors who share the mission of eradicating hunger and food-access issues in our Community.
We are very grateful not only to Matt and Steven for taking the time for this conversation, but for all of the volunteers, visionaries, and businesses that support this valuable community resource.
Decorah Public Library is continuing the Coffee and Creativity program series designed to help build community while being creative. Participants can make simple craft projects while chatting over coffee from 10-11:30 AM on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.
The sessions will be led by Lea Lovelace, an arts educator with years of experience facilitating programs and activities in museums and arts organizations. Everyone is welcome to come make something, regardless of previous experience or artistic ability. On January 3, put a fun twist on New Years resolutions by cutting and pasting some fantastical collages on postcards to send to friends and loved ones. On January 17, come and knit. Whether you’ve never knit before or can cast off in your sleep, this program is open for everyone. We’ll have all the tools and supplies you’ll need to try your hand at knitting.
This program is free to the public and all materials are provided. For more information, please contact Zach Row-Heyveld at Decorah Public Library – zrow-heyveld@decorahlibrary.org or by calling 563.382.3717.
Decorah Parks and Recreation invites the community to join our Winter Walkers program beginning Wednesday, January 4th! Winter Walkers is a fun way for folks of all ages to stay active, spend time outside, and stay motivated during the winter when we are oftentimes less likely to bundle up and head outdoors. The aim of this program is to get moving every day, so feel free to participate as a walker, runner, biker, or whatever keeps you moving!
Decorah Public Library staff are hosting six book discussions in January. 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. Zoom links are available on the Library’s website or you can email ktorresdal@decorahlibrary.org to be added to any of the six groups’ email distribution lists. Funds for multiple copy sets were generously provided by Friends of Decorah Public Library.
For more information, contact Tricia Crary (Friday Book Group), Zach Row-Heyveld (Cookbook Book Group) or Kristin Torresdal (Happy Hour, History, and Speculative Fiction Book Groups) at 563-382-3717.
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
The Happy Hour Book Group will meet via Zoom Wed. Jan. 11 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Kate Beaton’s “Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands.” After university, Beaton heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush, part of the long tradition of Canadian East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can’t find it in the homeland they love so much. With the goal of paying off her student loans, Beaton finds work in the camps owned and operated by the world’s largest oil companies, but the journey will cost her far more than she anticipates.
Modern Bistro
The Cookbook Group will meet in the library’s lower-level meeting room at 6:30 on Thursday, January 12 for the potluck and final discussion of “Modern Bistro” by America’s Test Kitchen. Bistro cooking is intimate and inviting, rustic yet casually elegant. America’s Test Kitchen brings you recipes that will comfort and impress, from simple Chicken Provençal with Saffron, Orange, and Basil; French Onion Burgers; and Leeks Vinaigrette to splendid Gnocchi à la Parisienne and Chocolate Brioche Buns. Foolproof techniques and plentiful photos help you master even the most finicky foods like tender French omelets folded around hearty fillings, no-fail Eggs Benedict and custardy Brioche French Toast, crispy, airy Gougères, velvety Chicken Liver Pâté, and tempting Gruyère, Mustard, and Caraway Cheese Coins to nibble with wine, and profiteroles, refined tarts, and a buttery rich Gâteau Breton for dessert.
Life of a Klansman: A Family History in White Supremacy
The History Book Group will hold a hybrid meeting Thurs. Jan. 19 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss Edward Ball’s “Life of a Klansman: A Family History in White Supremacy.” In-person attendees will meet in the lower-level public meeting room at the library and digital attendees will join via Zoom. “Life of a Klansman” tells the story of Constant Lecorgne, a carpenter in Louisiana who took up the cause of fanatical racism during the years after the Civil War. Author Edward Ball, a descendant of the Klansman, paints a portrait of his great-great grandfather that is part history, part memoir. To offer a non-white view of the Ku-klux, Ball seeks out descendants of African Americans who were once victimized by “our Klansman” and shares their stories.
Midnight’s Children
The Friday Book Group will meet via Zoom Fri. Jan 20 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children.” Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence, and he grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence: his every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts.
The Poppy War
The Speculative Fiction Book Group will meet via Zoom Wed. Jan. 25 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss R.F. Kuang’s “The Poppy War.” When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone. But being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard, the most elite military school in Nikan. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism.
The Only Harmless Great Thing
The Speculative Fiction Novella Group will meet via Zoom Wed. Jan. 25 at 6:15 p.m. to discuss Brooke Bolander’s “The Only Harmless Great Thing.” In the early years of the 20th century, a group of female factory workers in Newark, New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island. These are the facts. Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history.
Decorah Middle School teams had strong performances at the State Mock Trial competition, earning a trophy and two outstanding performance medals.
Decorah’s 8th grade team won the seventh-place trophy out of 32 teams that competed at State. Decorah was edged out by 4 points by the team that advanced to the semi-final round.
Decorah’s 7th grade team received the most nominations from participating teams to win the Critelli Award for outstanding “professional conduct, courtroom decorum, civility and sportsmanship.”
Two Decorah students were honored with All-State individual medals: Lulu Bellrichard and Jillian Volz for Outstanding Attorney. To earn this award, a student must be nominated by both judges as their top choice in a single round.
The two Decorah teams qualified for the State competition by placing first and second at the Regional competition in Waterloo. Decorah’s other two teams placed fourth and fifth. Over 125 teams compete in Regionals statewide.
This year’s case was a personal injury civil trial about a customer who fell down two flights of stairs in a restaurant during a busy lunch rush. For the competition, students write scripts as attorneys and witnesses and perform trials as plaintiff and defense against opposing teams.
“This was a very challenging case this year with four expert witnesses and many technical documents,” said teacher coach Carole Sand. “I’m very proud of our Decorah students. Winning the 7th place trophy, two outstanding performance awards, and the Critelli Award at State is a testament to the students’ hard work, talent, and commitment.”
Many Decorah participants were nominated or honored for outstanding performances as attorneys or witnesses at the regional and state tournaments, some by numerous judges.
Outstanding honors went to 8th graders Lulu Bellrichard, Spencer Christensen, Lawrence Christman, Emma Cline, Thomas Davis, Jackson Irwin, Naomi Kutz, Myla Leitz, Jayden Lundtvedt, Gavin Luzum, Teagan Menke, Olivia Rissman, Grace Stockman, and Jillian Volz.
Seventh grade outstanding performers included Poppy Bellrichard, Isaac Bentley, Matthew Burkholder, Pranav Caton, Leah Garcia-Prats, Max Goodner, Kaya Johnson, Kora Kelly, Sophia McGee, Shriyansh Patel, Kate Pattison, Nils Peterson, and Davis Walter.
DMS Mock Trial is part of the school’s Extended Learning Program. Coaches include Sand, Scott Boylen, and Sarah Zbornik. Supporting the program are volunteer expert mentors: attorney Sandra Benzschawel, Judge Marty Lingreen, Judge Linnea Nicol, Luther graduate Peter Stelter, and former Decorah student Jacob Stock. Decorah High School assistant coaches include Mara Branum, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Grace Blikre, Mikayla Hiner, Evon Leitz, Nora Lesmeister, Lily Sandhorst, Kamryn Steines, and Kaylie Wemark.
“We owe much of our success to all of the mentors, assistant coaches, and high school students who donate countless hours to work individually with our students,” said Sand. “We also appreciate Lisa Lantz at The Getup for donating clothing for our costumes.”
DMS 8th grade Mock Trial team Tumblrs, winner of the seventh place State trophy, includes (seated, l-r) Jackson Irwin, Gavin Luzum, Teagan Menke, Spencer Christensen; (standing, l-r) Jayden Lundtvedt, Jillian Volz, Myla Leitz, Colin Thompson, Lawrence Christman, and Emma Cline. DMS 7th grade team Dine, Cash and Crash, which won the Critelli Award at the State tournament, includes (seated, l-r) Kaya Johnson, Sophia McGee, Kate Pattison, Gavin Carolan; (standing, l-r) Poppy Bellrichard, Matthew Burkholder, Max Goodner, Davis Walter, and Isaac Bentley. Joining this team at the State tournament was Lulu Bellrichard.DMS 8th grade team Freefallers, which placed fifth at Regionals, includes (seated, l-r) Thomas Davis, Liam Huang, Grace Stockman, Lulu Bellrichard; (standing, l-r) Naomi Kutz, Noah Potvin, Olivia Rissman, Atticus Raabe, Evan Madsen, Thatcher Brown, and Kinley Leliefeld.DMS 7th grade team Mockingbirds, which placed fourth at Regionals, includes (seated, l-r) Nils Peterson, Eva Hurley, Bristol Parker, Addisyn Ivy; (standing, l-r) Oak Pasche, Pranav Caton, Kora Kelly, Leah Garcia-Prats, Anna Knaack, and Shriyansh Patel.
The ice rink will open for the season Saturday, December 24, 2022. The ice rink is always open for skating throughout the winter except when the ‘Stay Off Ice’ sign is posted. Please obey signage at the rink while staff continue flooding and prep for opening day.
