Month: March 2023

Rhymes With Decorah Podcast: Rhymes With… Driftless Hiking Trail!

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The Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail is a concept for a 100 mile foot path running through the incredible scenery of SE Minnesota from Chatfield, MN to the Mississippi River. “Chief Instigator” of this project, Marty Walsh, joins us for a conversation about the vision and history of the project, and where things are headed (currently in the spring of 2023). 

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A group of volunteers are currently working with state, county, and private landowners to acquire access to properties that will allow the through-hiking style trail to traverse the hills and valleys of the region for human powered users. The backcountry style hiking trail is inspired by the Appalachian Tail, Superior Hiking Trail, Ice Age Trail, and others, providing opportunities to share the region at a human scale with all.

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Find out more about the project on this show, and how to get involved or donate by visiting https://www.mndriftlesshikingtrail.org

Find the project on social media:

Facebook /  Instagram / Twitter

 

“Rhymes With Decorah” is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.

Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram, Patreon, TikTok and more @indicative_of_drumming

Decorah Special Olympians Compete Well at Track and Field Competition

On March 5th, Decorah School Special Olympians competed in the Northeast Iowa Regional Track and Field competition at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. 

Placing in the event for Decorah High School include the following: Allison Kalvelage­–1st in shot put and 2nd in the 100 meter dash, Francesca Wilkerson–2nd in shot put and 2nd in the 50 meter dash, Wyatt Pleggenkuhle–1st in shot put and 1st in the long jump, Donnie Hrdlicka–3rd in the softball throw and 2nd in the 50 meter dash, John Lippe–1st in shot put and 1st in the 50 meter dash, Braden Ramstad­–2nd in shot put and 2nd in the 100 meter dash, and Kamryn Leuenberger–1st in the tennis ball throw and 1st in the 25 meter walker race.  In addition, Francesca Wilkerson was selected as a Torch Bearer for the Opening Ceremony.

Placing for Decorah Middle School were Daniel Bean–1st in shot put and 1st in the 100 meter dash, Zoey Lollar–3rd in long jump and 3rd in the 50 meter dash, and Luke Thompson–1st in long jump.

Coach John Dunt remarked, “The Special Olympians competed hard and had fun at the event.”

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DHS competitors (l-r): Braden Ramstad, Wyatt Pleggenkuhle, Allison Kalvelage, John Lippe, Francesca Wilkerson, Donnie Hrdlicka and Kamryn Leuenberger
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DMS competitors (l-r): Zoey Lollar and Daniel Bean. Not pictured: Luke Thompson   
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Francesca Wilkerson of Decorah High School was selected as a Torch Bearer for the Opening Ceremony.

DHS Awarded Grant to Replace Garden Beds

Chad Elliott, Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist for Decorah Community School District, works in tandem with science teachers Tim Hayes and Brad Johansen to help provide fresh food to students and staff. When he learned the cedar raised beds used to grow some of that food were falling apart after ten years of significant use, he wrote a grant to replace them.

This week the district was informed they are the recipient of a “Grow it, Eat it Sub-Grant,” provided through the 2022 USDA Farm to School Grant received by the Iowa Department of Education. This will allow the high school to spend almost $2000 replacing the raised beds.

According to Elliott, “These beds produce bushels of basil and gallons of peppers each year for the kitchen to incorporate into school menus. Replacing the wooden beds with stone will last longer and match the stone raised bed already in place on the west side of the greenhouse. The nutrition department uses the basil to make pesto for the creamy tomato-basil soup served in the winter months. The peppers are used for salads, chicken fajitas, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, and fresh garden salsa.”

The raised beds will be assembled by students with the help of teachers. Horticulture and Environmental Science students will then plant basil, flowers, and peppers grown from seeds in the high school greenhouse. These students will tend the beds during the growing season and then harvest and deliver the food to the kitchen when ready. To complete the cycle, food scraps are collected in the cafeteria and used to make compost for the gardens.

Elliott added, “Building these two beds will give the students pride in knowing their hard work will be appreciated by so many future students. Planting produce in the beds and weeding and watering during the growing season teaches students responsibility and gives them the experience of growing a garden that they can use into their adult lives. Harvesting and then consuming the produce in the cafeteria will give them a great understanding of where food comes from. Students will participate in this activity for many growing seasons into the future.”

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Science teacher Tim Hayes tending to produce in the raised beds next to the greenhouse.
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Peppers growing in a raised bed next to the greenhouse.

DMS Students Present Night of Plays

The Decorah Middle School 7th and 8th grade students will be presenting “A Night of Plays” on Thursday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m. A variety of small cast plays will be featured, including one from the Carol Burnett Show.

The performance will be at the Carrie Lee auditorium, and admission is free.

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Front row (7th grade l-r): Gavin Wilkins, Cloe Scheidel, June Belz, Kylie Cord, Kaya Johnson, Claire Ko, Nils Peterson
Back row (8th grade l-r): Olivia Volkmann, Isis Timm, Evan Madsen, Olivia Rissman, Jillian Volz, Noah Potvin, Oskar Swanson, Esteban Fernandez 
missing: Logan Nalean-Carlson

Everything EV-Related You Hadn’t Already Thought Of – Winneshiek Energy District

by Paul Cutting, Energy Planner

Electric Vehicles (EVs) have improved by leaps and bounds over the past five years. The 2017 Nissan Leaf—then one of only a few EVs on the market—had a range of just 107 miles. Today that same vehicle has a range of 215 miles. In fact, most new entry level EVs, like the Chevy Bolt (259 miles range), the upcoming Chevy Equinox (300 miles), the upcoming Blazer (300 miles), VW’s ID.4 (275 miles) and the Kia Niro (253 miles) all have ranges approaching their equivalent internal combustion engine counterparts. In fact, the number of 2022 models with ranges of at least 300 miles grew to fourteen as compared to five from the year before. But beyond improvements in range and ever-increasing access and availability to public charging infrastructure, there are several other lesser known considerations one should take into account when contemplating an EV, including cold weather range reduction, vehicle charging speed, how the vehicle is heated, and whether the vehicle will be stored in a heated garage. 

All EVs exhibit reduced performance in cold weather. If you’re a current hybrid driver, you know what I’m talking about. My small hybrid truck consistently gets 45-48 mpg during the warm months, but struggles to achieve 32 mpg during the winter. Battery performance, and the systems meant to protect batteries from freezing during cold weather, greatly affect winter mileage. This is true whether you’re driving a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or pure EV. Some EVs have reported cold weather performance losses of 30% of rated range. EPA range calculations are complex, but the short end of it is that they don’t accurately account for real-world winter driving conditions. 

Some EVs suffer more range loss during cold weather driving than others, and much of this variation is due to how the vehicle’s cabin is heated. A normal internal combustion engine vehicle siphons heat from the engine and uses this byproduct to heat the vehicle. That advantage doesn’t exist for a vehicle without a gas engine, and instead heating is achieved through either an electric resistance element or the combination of a heat pump coupled with an auxiliary electric resistance element. 

The combination heat pump/electric resistance heater uses less electricity than a sole resistance element, and as a result has less effect on cold weather performance. For example, the Ford Mustang Mach-E with its resistance heater suffers a roughly 30% cold weather range hit, whereas the Tesla 3 with its hybrid heat pump/resistance heater suffers a range hit about half that. When comparing heating systems between EVs, keep in mind that not all trim levels of the same model use the same method of cabin heating. Some entry level trims may utilize resistance heating while the seemingly same higher end trims may utilize a hybrid system.

A related consideration is how the vehicle is stored, or whether the vehicle can be preheated while still connected to electrical supply. An EV stored in a heated garage will have a much lessened cold weather range and performance hit. Before going any further, I’m not implying that having a heated garage is a requirement of EV ownership in our climate, or that anyone should heat their garage for the sole purpose of making their EV happy in the winter. That said, an EV stored well above freezing with its battery and cabin preheated close to room temperature will operate much better than one stored outside in freezing temperatures. Similarly, some models have features that allow for either scheduled or keyfob activated preheating while the vehicle is connected to external power. 

EV ownership will become more compelling for more people as public charging becomes widely available. EV charging is done at three speeds: Level 1, 2 and 3. Level 1 charging utilizes a standard wall outlet operating at 120 volts and achieves a rate of charge of about 2-4 miles of range per hour, depending on vehicle efficiency. Level 2 charging utilizes 240 volt power, and is what’s most widely available at public chargers. Level 2 charging achieves a rate of charge anywhere from 18 to 50 miles of range per hour and is really the only option for public charging currently available in Northeast Iowa. 

Level 2 charging speeds vary greatly by vehicle. For example, the Nissan Leaf is capable of charging at a rate of about 23 miles per hour of charge while the Chevy Bolt can achieve a rate of about 44 miles per hour. Keep in mind, level 2 charging speed varies depending on both the capability of the vehicle and the capability of the charger (or outlet) the vehicle is plugged into. Most EV owners charge at home at level 1 or 2, and with adequate time spent charging overnight, consideration of level 2 charging speeds, in practice, really doesn’t matter all that much. With level 3 DC fast charging still scarce for the foreseeable future, level 2 charging speeds become important for those who need a charge to get home.

Some day relatively soon, level 3 charging will be available at commercial locations in Northeast Iowa. Some slow level 3 chargers allow for a rate of charge of about 75 miles per hour, whereas the fastest level 3 chargers (350 kW in speed), can fully charge (from about 10% capacity to 80% capacity) in as short as 15 minutes.  (Lithium-based batteries are not designed to be fully discharged or charged, and instead operate in that sweet spot between 10-80% of charge.) But not all vehicles can accept 350kW level 3 charging, and some only allow for level 3 charging speeds of up to 50kW. For example, the Chevy Bolt can be charged from 10% to 80% capacity in about an hour (at a rate of 50kW), whereas higher-end EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 can charge in as short as 18 minutes (at a rate of 350kW).

As Level 3 charging rolls out more widely throughout the country, especially along interstate corridors, which was prioritized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a level 3 rate of charge will become increasingly important. The challenges for  those taking their EVs on road trips cross countryare widely documented.

If you’re in the market for a new vehicle or are EV-curious, now might be the time to take the plunge. Ranges of EVs have increased tremendously over the last few years, more entry level models with fantastic ranges are coming to market every year, and the nationwide network of Level 3 DC fast chargers is currently being built. Despite the fact that some changes in the EV tax credit that will make some models ineligible (see our prior newsletter post here), many vehicles still qualify for the $7,500 credit, which in some cases puts EVs at cost parity to their gas equivalents. 

Decorah Student Musicians Present Jazz Coffeehouse Friday, March 3

Decorah High School musicians from the 7 O’Clock Jazz Band, directed by Matthew Cody, will be joining forces with the Middle School Jazz Band, directed by Emily Hahn, to share their talents at a Jazz Coffeehouse Friday, March 3, in the high school cafeteria. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and music starts at 7 p.m. 

Coffee from Impact Coffee and desserts prepared by Decorah Community School District Executive Chef Chad Elliott will be available. A free will donation with a suggested price of $5 for one dessert and a beverage is appreciated to support music in Decorah schools. The public is cordially invited to join in the fun, relaxed atmosphere.

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DHS Band Students Soloists at Luther’s Dorian Festival

Eleven Decorah High School band students were selected to attend the Dorian Band Festival at Luther College. Over 420 students from the area participated and were able to attend a mini lesson with the option of competing in a solo competition. 

Three students were selected to perform as soloists at the grand concert, and two of them were from Decorah High School. Alex McGohan was selected to perform on Bass Marimba and Elias Vorvick was selected to perform on Bass Trombone.

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Alex McGohan performing as a soloist on the Bass Marimba.

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Elias Vorvick performing as a soloist on the Bass Trombone.    

DMS and DHS choirs present “Why We Sing” at DHS on March 7

At times in our lives, we lean on music to express what is felt inside–what is brewing just beneath the surface or, in other times, what is radiating from us. These moments occur during grief, happiness, hope, and celebration. Additionally, all of us have experienced hearing a song and being transported back to another time in our life: a popular song from a TV show when we were young, a family road trip song, a song shared at a family member’s funeral, “Pomp and Circumstance” from high school commencement, and the list goes on and on.

On Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Decorah High School auditorium, the Decorah Middle School Seventh and Eighth Grade Choir will combine with the Decorah High School choirs to celebrate “Why We Sing.” This concert program uses music to comment on times in our lives of challenge and celebration, to encourage us to embrace these moments, and to hear the messages as we explore why we sing.

Pieces shared at the concert will include “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Where the Light Begins,” “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen, and “Requiem,” a song written in response to the 2004 Asian tsunami.

The concert is free and open to all.

Decorah High School Speech Participants Perform Well at District Competition

Decorah High School’s individual speech participants—coached by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks, and Lyra McKnight—competed in the district contest on Saturday, February 25th, at Decorah High School. Around 47 DHS students participated in the contest. Out of Decorah’s 51 performances, 45 received I (excellent) ratings. Those performances will advance to the state competition.

The directors shared, “Our students did an incredible job representing our school with their poise, professionalism, and preparedness. We are also so grateful for all of the students, staff, families, and community members who stepped up to help us host this contest.”

The Individual Speech State Contest will be held at Starmont High School in Arlington on Saturday, March 11th.

Results for Decorah Speech Performers Grades 10-12

Receiving a I (excellent) rating:

Original Oratory: Becca Kane, Jenna Hartz, Diep Doan

Public Address: Grace Blikre, Alex McGohan

Expository Address: Max Wilson, Junior Battle

Storytelling: Margret Zook, Henry Weis, Ramsey Zilka

Prose: Danielle Rix, Bethany Hanson, Sophia Christman

Poetry: Kathryn Kelly, Ezra Vorvick, Brynn Storhoff

Review: Jensen Korsness, Elliana Brodbeck

Literature Program: Natalie Goodner, Hayley Stowe, Leslie Campbell

Solo Musical: Libby Phillips, Ella Grouws

Acting: Jake Magner, Ada Lovelace

After Dinner Speaking: Davis Coppola, Lily Sandhorst, Gabriel Hiner

Spontaneous Speaking: Michael Njus, Corina Timm, Ethan Stravers

Radio News: Rebecca Anderson, Anders Lovstuen, Simon Kutz

Individual Improv: Jack Sovern, Joe Stammeyer, Liam Chamberlain

Receiving a II (good) rating:

Expository Address: Luke Arendt

Review: Braunwyn Darrington

Solo Musical: Alex Kane

Acting: Elsa Johnson

Public Address: Klaara Short

Results for Decorah Speech Performers Grade 9

Receiving a I (excellent) rating:

Original Oratory: June Breitenbach-Dirks

After Dinner Speaking: Caleb Johnson

Prose: Ezra Harman-Wood

Literature Program: Mikayla Hiner

Solo Musical: Mikayla Hiner, June Breitenbach-Dirks

Acting: Caleb Johnson

Storytelling: Klara Kelly

Receiving a II (good) rating:

Acting: Ezra Harman-Wood

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