for the
Dan & Dena Arens Family

DATE: Friday, February 3rd
TIME: 4:30 – 7pm
LOCATION: First Lutheran Church, Belle Plaine, IA

• Proceeds to help with Medical Expenses

• Monetary Donations can be made at MidWestOne Bank in Belle Plaine

Photo Compliments of Your Memories Photography by Abbi Garling

For more information about the Soup Supper Benefit, donations or how you can help, please contact Sara Johnson at 319.721.0951.

For Bake Sale donations, please contact Lisa Garling at 319.521.3637.

Volunteers certified in tax preparation will again be available to assist Tax Payers with tax returns free of charge. The returns are electronically filed thanks to the IRS tax counselors program coordinated with American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The client is responsible for providing all pertinent information and supporting documents to the appointment including the previous year’s tax return.

Appointments are now being taken for those who are interested in receiving assistance or for more information, may phone the Vinton Library at 319.472.4208 or the Belle Plaien Library at 319.444.2902.

The dates are now established to be the “second Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in August.”

“We struggled with establishing this formula for our dates, due to all the early August activities, but are convinced this will please the most shoppers and communities.” “To make the event more successful, people or groups interested in participating on an individual basis or as group effort for fundraising should contact Deb Rothmeyer as soon as possible. This way information can be distributed as planning continues, and listings of sales can be made available for shoppers to plan their stops.”

A Guide will be distributed to businesses along the corridor for pick-up by shoppers in late July.

“This event has not only introduced hundreds of thousands to the history of America’s first coast-to-coast paved road, but it provides an economic boost to the hundreds of communities that participate, and it serves the “thrifty” side of us all who shop.

Deb Rothmeyer
Iowa Lincoln Highway Buy Way Yard sale Coordinator
712-263-835

1.

2. The Jr. High Girls Basketball game that was postponed @ BGM will be on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

That is why – like teachers and administrators, United Way is encouraged by the new Connect to Complete Initiative – which will afford low-income children internet access from home. This initiative will offer these children new pathways to learning and opportunities to utilize online learning tools they wouldn’t normally have access to. Ultimately, it will help better prepare them with the 21st century skills they need to be successful in college, work, and life.

Saturday’s Palo Holiday Express that took families from Palo to Vinton for a holiday get-away raised more than $20,000 that will go toward improving our community.

More than 2,200 people took the train and enjoyed visiting with Santa, doing crafts and visiting shops in Vinton. (Santa and crafts were in Palo and shopping in Vinton).

The ride, organized by NextEra Energy Duane Arnold and Iowa Northern, raised $23,213.

Of the total, $3,000 will go to the Benton County Historical Society and $20,213 will be donated to United Way of East Central Iowa, for Children’s Outreach Programs.

“We very much appreciate this gift,” said Nancy Craig, VP of Resource Development at United Way. “This will help us improve the community.”

Some examples of what $20,000 can do through United Way:
15 of our most vulnerable youth can be mentored by a positive adult role model
117 of our most vulnerable youth can participate in leadership development programs.
40 of our most vulnerable youth can participate in quality out of school time programming.
109 of our most vulnerable youth can receive homework and academic supports.

 
“As you can see this donation will make an impact,” Craig said. “We appreciate the support.”

The number of people whose needs can’t be met through a call to 211 has almost doubled, a review of call center data showed earlier this week.

Most people call 211 for assistance in these areas:

ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTER FEED

$10 – ALL YOU CAN EAT!!!

• Mountain Oysters
• Fish
• Baked Beans
• Potato Chips
• Bread & Butter
• Beverages provide by American Legion

Saturday – December 10th

5 – 8 PM

Belle Plaine American Legion

Delivery available for Elderly & Handicap Only (Belle Plaine Area)
For Deliveries Call – 319.784.7693 from 4 – 7 PM

All proceeds go to NEW Equipment!

Making Reindeer Feed

Legion while a craft show was held upstairs.

Sisters and their Christmas hats

Before the Workshop, there was Lunch with Santa at the Library.  Santa was there to hear the wish list of any child who approached him (he can be kind of a scary guy to the little ones). The kids munched on hot dogs and cookies and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The free movie this year was Smurfs.  As the people were coming out of the King Theater, they all seemed to have smiles on their faces.

Free horse drawn covered wagon rides were next on the agenda.  The team of Percheron draft horses were waiting patiently for riders to get out of the movie theater.  The horses were beautiful and had wonderful temperaments.  They are a pair of sister from the Victor area.  Their owner, a young man who is just 19, told me that he had been handling horses for as long as he could remember.  His grandfather was his mentor and inspiration for the joy he finds working with horses.  He told me that when he and his grandfather were at a horse sale several years ago and this team came up for bid, he was a little hesitant to bid on the huge animals, but his grandpa was sure they could be worked with and would make a fine team.  His grandfather has since passed away but the owner of

Riding in the wagon with Grandma!

these two horses informed me that he thinks purchasing the team was one of the smarted things his grandfather ever did.  The horses are so well trained that they can be right beside the railroad tracks and the train whistle will blow and the horses won’t even flinch.  As we were riding down 13th Street, a few cars didn’t want to go as slowly as the wagon was moving so they went around us and it didn’t faze the Percherons.

At 5 o’clock hot cocoa and cookies were served in front of the library as we gathered around the town’s Christmas Tree waiting for it to be lighted.  After a couple of false starts, the tree glowed with blue and white lights.  Everybody there sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and then we all headed home to get warm.