MID IOWA ENTERPRISE Proudly Serving and Supporting the West Marshall and East Story trade area

Thursday, December 19, 2019 • Volume 148 • Number 42 State Center, Iowa 50247 Single Copy/$1.00

Area -NuCara Pharmacy sends Letters to BB holiday greetings, page 3 Santa & results, -MidWestOne Bank donates Holiday Art, page 8 to Helping Hands, page 5 Section B Have yourself a VINTAGE West Marshall School News little Christmas Board appoints Briefs Photos and Story by Marlys Barker Hunter Wilkening by Chris Davis Anyone In Need Of A Lit - tle Boost To Help With Your Christmas Meal Come To New Horizons United Methodist Church On Main St. In Melbourne On Sunday December 22nd From 10 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. There Will Be Christmas Meal Essential Bags In The Entry Way Of The Church. Stop By And Pick Up A Little Christmas Cheer To Make Your Holi - day Season A Little Easier.

West Marshall Board Secretary Stephanie Edler While you’re checking swears in Hunter Wilkening as the newest member of things off of your Christ - the West Marshall Board of Education. -Photo by Chris Davis mas list, don’t forget the most important gift to Shawn Meyer stands by her “vintage” Christmas . She loves her Santa orna - Four applicants submit - board. He encouraged ments and said the "green" colored ones are more valuable and more rare than ted their application to the those that applied to run in give: the gift of life. the red. West Marshall Board of the next general election. Blood donation only At the end of each year, Shawn Meyer each one. Education for the board Highlights from the re - takes about an hour and of State Center takes a step back in time. She puts that ornament to use as she seat vacated by Ryan mainder of the meeting in - has a huge impact. One As she decorates her , shows a "bird-cage"-style ornament. "It Pfantz, who elected not to cluded the following: blood donor can save the Meyer, 58, is transported to years gone by says Germany on it," she said about the accept the position he won -Business Manager lives of three people with a as she carefully places over 600 vintage ornament that has in it. "I spent $25 as a result of the write-in Stephanie Edler gave a standard donation! Be a ornaments on an 8-foot-high Frazer Fir. on this one. I found it at Antiques Iowa in vote during the November short report on the Sol - holiday hero! Schedule an "I think for me, it's the nostalgia and the Story City." This is one of the more pricey 5th General Election. The vency Ratio for the district. appointment at an upcom - memories of a simpler time," she said of ones on her tree, but she has no regrets four applicants were Dustin Solvency Ratio is a snap - ing blood drive in your the reason she's added to her collection for about spending the money on it. Blackburn, Jennifer Jensen, shot point-in-time measure community. KIX 101.1 many years. "I wonder what it would have "I've never kept track of the dollars I've Nathan White, and Hunter of the percentage of rev - Blood Drive, Friday, De - been like to live in a much less compli - spent (on the collection)," she said. And Wilkening. enue remaining, assuming cember 27, 2019 from 8:00 cated time. Life's just so busy now." then with a laugh, she likes to tell people, Three of the four appli - the district closed its doors AM - 2:00 PM at Marshall - It's a little ironic to talk about a less "Collections aren't worth a dime unless cants were present at the on June 30 of the fiscal town Mall, 2500 South busy time when you consider it takes you sell them." regular December 11th year, after gathering all the Center St.. Schedule a Meyer the better part of three days to com - The Santas on her tree would also be board meeting. The candi - year’s revenue and paying plete getting each year's tree decorated. among the blood donation appoint - dates were asked by Board all the year’s obligations. ment online at lifeserve - But she thoroughly enjoys the process. pricier vin - President Rod Honeck to A district can only impact Her husband Steve gets the tree -- pur - tage orna - bloodcenter.org or call briefly explain what impact its solvency ratio by either 800.287.4903. chased from the nearby Victorian Pines ments, she they wish to make as a increasing revenues or by Tree Farm -- placed in the corner of the said. And she member of the West Mar - reducing expenditures (or a living room for her, and then she starts her points out a shall school board. Black - combination of the two). process by first putting strands of all white green one. burn, Jensen, and Currently the district’s Sol - The Mid Iowa lights on, followed by a mix of vintage "A green Wilkening all mentioned vency Ratio is 38.4% Enterprise glass strands of . Santa is a lit - that they hoped to learn which Edler commented is will close at noon Next, she begins placing the ornaments, tle more what it takes to “run a “higher than it should be”. starting with all the Santas and other fa - rare," she school district”. Blackburn Since 2010, the district’s on Tuesday, vorites in the most visible positions, and noted. further noted that he solvency ratio has ranged December 24th and usually ending by placing the tiniest Shiny She also wished to take an active from a low of 31.1% in will be closed on Brites and the vintage twisted wire pieces. points out role in expansion talks for 2013 to a high of 42.1% in "I have about 12 of them (the twisted one of her milk-glass figured bulbs. "They the district and that he 2017. Wednesday, wire). They're like my tinsel," she said. were actually on a string of lights that lit wants to commit more time -Personnel-Employment December 25th. Tinsel is very vintage, but Meyer doesn't up ... and are probably from the late 1930s to his community. Jensen of Jeana Clough, MS bas - Papers will be use it because it's hard to get it all back out or early 40s." pointed out that she wants ketball coach; Jennifer of the branches, and when they take the She could go on and on about the orna - to see students ready “for Boeding, HS Assistant mailed on Thursday, tree down, it goes under their porch as a ments on the tree. It's her passion, and the real world” when they track coach; Isaac Freder - December 26th. winter sanctuary for various critters. she's well-versed on ornaments that were graduate from West Mar - ick, MS COED Head Swim Meyer, who is retired from having pre-war and post-war, and on people like shall. Wilkening shared Coach; Jodi Girard, MS As - worked for an orthodontist and at one time Max Eckhardt, who started the Shiny Brite that as a “Millennial” he sistant Girls Track Coach; The office will even owned a gift shop in Conrad for a company. would be able to share his Kiley Smoldt, Preschool 3 again be closed on few years, said her vintage ornament col - As a mom, she's excited to say that she's perspective from that age year aide; Terami Nichols, Wednesday, lection started about 20 years ago and not passed her love of vintage Christmas -- group. Special Education Para L3; because of any family hand-me-downs. and it doesn't stop at ornaments, she has Motion was made by Michelle Kabrick, Special January 1st with Her mother always had a beautiful tree, many vintage Christmas decorations in her Shawn Meyer, seconded by Education Para L3; Tiffany papers being mailed but her mother's decorating tastes were home -- to her two oldest daughters, so far. Bob Ranson, to appoint Wade, Special Education on Thursday, more "elegant" than "vintage," she said. She's given them vintage ornaments of Hunter Wilkening to the Para L3; Dana Poage, She and her sister, Teri Plants of Des their own as they've moved out. board vacancy position. transfer to BD room; and January 2nd. Moines, however, love vintage. "They both have to have a Fraser Fir Ranson thanked all the can - adjust Hannah Thompson Looking at her vintage ornaments on the (Meyer's choice tree for showcasing vin - didates and said that he Track contract to $2,202.63 Happy Holidays! tree, she said, "it really sparks fond memo - tage ornaments, due to its many branches), would much rather the vot - CONTINUED ries of what my grandma's tree was. I also so they are taking a page out of my book, ing public has chosen the PAGE 6...... think it's fun to collect and have a hobby. and nothing could please me more." board member than the It gives you something to do." Vintage isn't for everyone, she said. "If And continue to collect, she does. She you like this stuff, you love it. If you don't, counted 600 ornaments when she took the you don't. And for her, she will always tree down after the holidays last year. She love it and will continue adding to her col - knows that she picked up another 25 to 30 lection. She said there's still more room on this year while traveling and visiting an - the tree, and if it ever gets too full, she'll tique shops. add another tree, and she'll continue to She did inherit a few of the ornaments decorate and put up ornaments with im - )6 in her collection, which came from Wilma peccable preciseness. 41 33 Eckhart, who now lives at Windsor Manor "I have a lot of messy areas in my life, &$ : in Nevada. "I'm friends with her daughter- but my tree isn't one of them." % *"- in-law, and there were ornaments leftover A little more about Shawn Meyer: &$ 4 (after Wilma moved from her home to She and her husband, Steve, moved to  &/  % Windsor Manor), so she gave them to me. State Center 10 years ago from Marshall -  In the box from Wilma, I received a few town.  red Shiny Brite ornaments, as well as one Steve is a materials team leader for  from Poland and also a diorama-styled Lennox in Marshalltown. one." Shawn and Steve have four daughters When asked if she has a favorite orna - and one son. Their children, from oldest to ment on the tree, Meyer does. "It's actually youngest are: a very old one from the late 1800s," she Ashley, a 2002 graduate of Marshall - said, holding it in the palm of her hand. town High School. She and her husband It's called 'a peach' for its shape. It was all live in State Center and Ashley works at done by hand." Story Medical in Nevada. She likes the ornament best for two rea - Allie, a 2004 graduate of Marshalltown sons. "Because it's the oldest and the dain - High School. She is a fourth grade teacher tiness of it," she said. "I know there was at West Marshall Schools. She and her an artist at some time, who probably didn't husband live in State Center. get paid much, but loved their job... So it's Nick, a 2001 graduate of Marshalltown the nostalgia of it." High School. He and his wife live in Speaking of nostalgia, it isn't all about LeGrand. collecting, but also about researching her Emma, a 2018 graduate of West Mar - ornaments. She picks up a beautiful silver shall High School. She is now a sopho - magnifying glass on her end table and tells more at Iowa State University. about how it was a gift from her kids, so Ella, a freshman at West Marshall High she could see all the little words on any or - School. nament she purchased to know more about The Mid-Iowa Enterprise -- Call 641-483-2120 to subscribe or go to www.midiaenterprise.com