03/11/21: Community Calendar

CC/E menus

Monday, March 15: No School – Staff Development.

Tuesday, March 16: Breakfast – French toast, fruit, juice; Lunch – Popcorn chicken, cauliflower, peaches.

Wednesday, March 17: Breakfast – Banana muffin, fruit, juice; Lunch – Taco, corn, sidekick, churro.

Thursday, March 18: Breakfast – Egg biscuit, fruit, juice; Lunch – Pork chopette, mashed potatoes/gravy, carrots, dinner roll, banana.

Friday, March 19: Breakfast – Donut, fruit, juice; Lunch – Fish sandwich, baked beans, oranges.

Milk is served with each meal.

H-M-S menus

Monday, March 15: Breakfast – Cereal, granola bites (9-12), fruit, juice; Lunch – Chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, bread (9-12), pears.

Tuesday, March 16: Breakfast – Egg/cheese biscuit, fruit, juice; Lunch – Hot ham/cheese, chips (9-12), baked beans, baby carrots, cucumbers, pineapple.

Wednesday, March 17: Breakfast – Breakfast pizza, fruit, juice; Lunch – Taco in bag, lettuce/cheese, green beans, bananas, cookie.

Thursday, March 18: Breakfast – Waffles, sausage (9-12), fruit, juice; Lunch – Chili/crackers, cinnamon roll, celery, peaches.

Friday, Feb. 19: Breakfast – Donut, fruit, juice; Lunch – Cheese pizza, romaine salad, cherry tomatoes, apples.

Milk served with each meal. Fruit/veggie bar served with lunch.

Interactive program on bird calls at HPL

O'Brien County Naturalist Abbie Parker will present "Sing into Spring" at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, at Hartley Public Library. Join her for this interactive session where you will learn all about bird calls and the best way to remember which bird sings which song.

Funeral association postpones meeting

The O'Brien Cooperative Funeral Association has postponed its annual meeting. The gathering will be held at a later time.

See the ad on Page 4 for more details.

H-M-S Music Boosters fundraiser

The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Music Boosters are holding a mattress fundraiser on Saturday, March 20. Every purchase benefits the boosters and the school music trip to Nashville.

See the ad on Page 4 for more details.

Food distribution at Trinity UCC

The Food Bank of Iowa's mobile pantry program will be conducted on Wednesday, March 17, from 4-6 p.m. at Trinity United Church of Christ in Hartley. The program is available free of charge and geared toward individuals in need of food assistance.

Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles and line up on the east side of the parking lot. The food will be brought to you as you drive under the canopy.

Food pantry hours at Hope Lutheran

Current hours for the food pantry at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly are Mondays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1-5 p.m. Please knock on the church door and food will be brought out to you.

Watch and learn more about bald eagles at PHC

The Little Sioux River Valley is a great place to view bald eagles, so head to the Prairie Heritage Center on Saturday, March 20, for an enjoyable morning of viewing eagles, participating in activities and learning more about our national symbol.

The annual bald eagle watch is a come-and-go program from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The O'Brien County naturalist and other volunteers will be on hand to help you spot and identify eagles and other birds. You can enjoy different hands-on activities for people of all ages at the Prairie Heritage Center as well as get a map to drive to view eagles throughout the Little Sioux River Valley.

At 11 a.m., Shelby County and Iowa DNR naturalist Christina Roelofs will do a virtual presentation on bald eagles. Through the guidance of SOAR, Roelofs has worked with different types of injured birds. She now has two bald eagles in her care and uses them to educate people. You will get to virtually meet her female bald eagle.

This presentation can be viewed at the Prairie Heritage Center or from the comfort of your own home. Contact O'Brien County Conservation Naturalist Abbie Parker to register for the Zoom link at [email protected] or call (712) 295-7200 if you are not able to attend in person. You won't want to miss this fantastic presentation.

Bring the whole family for a fun morning of viewing eagles and learning more about them. COVID-19 precautions are in place for all programs.

Master Gardener training to be offered online

The application window is now open for this year's Master Gardener training, which will be offered 100 percent online in the fall. Applicants have until July 1 to apply.

A total of 17 educational modules will be offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on topics that include houseplants, pollinators, vegetables and perennial flowers. Each course module includes a book chapter, lecture video, online discussion board and a quiz.

"We have set up the course so that participants can work through the book chapters and online materials at their own pace, on their own time," said Susan DeBlieck, Master Gardener program coordinator, in a news release. "Participants will connect on online discussion forums to share ideas about how they plan to volunteer and what they are learning about plants."

Iowa State has offered Master Gardener training for over 40 years, engaging more than 15,000 people in learning about gardening best practices. Examples of Master Gardener volunteer projects include building partnerships to increase pollinator habitat in the community, maintaining demonstration gardens at county fairgrounds and donating fresh produce to food pantries.

This year, the course is being offered online via Canvas. There is one open-book test at the end of the course that participants will need to pass to complete the course and receive their certificate.

The fee for Master Gardener training is $195 and covers all materials. Participants will need to pass a background check to participate. After completing the Master Gardener training, participants have 13 months to complete 40 volunteer hours.

For more information and/or to apply for the program, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/become-master-gardener or contact DeBlieck at (515) 294-6764, or [email protected].

Nature Nut series begins March 25

Join in-person or adventure on your own with family or friends as you become an O'Brien County Conservation "Nature Nut" this year!

Once a month participants will explore a different topic guided by the O'Brien County Conservation Board naturalist. These programs will be hosted each month at an O'Brien County Conservation park or the Prairie Heritage Center. Or you can do them at your own pace and download materials from http://www.prairieheritagecenter.org.

Programs will consist of a presentation on the topic and a hands-on activity. In-person programs will be 45-60 minutes in length. Participants can do a mix of in-person or virtual programs to participate. Those who choose to join virtually will find all materials posted at http://www.prairieheritagecenter.org after the in-person presentation.

March's Nature Nut topic is Composting 101. This program will be hosted at the Prairie Heritage Center on Thursday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. Participants will learn the ins and outs of composting, take home plans to build their own outdoor compost bin and make a kitchen compost bin to take home. COVID-19 precautions are in place for all in-person programs.

This program is available at no cost and is open to people of all ages. Registration is required. To register visit http://www.prairieheritagecenter.org.

When you have completed the topic for the month, get a stamp in your passport and you are on your way to becoming an official "Nature Nut." Do one or do them all! For more information about the Nature Nut series and monthly topics visit http://www.prairieheritagecenter.org or contact Naturalist Abbie Parker at (712) 295-7200.

April pick for virtual nature book club is 'The Overstory'

O'Brien County Conservation Board and the Hartley Public Library are proud to offer a virtual book club that will focus on nature and conservation.

A variety of books, both non-fiction and fiction, have been chosen to discuss in a virtual platform from the comfort of your own home. This book club will meet on the second Tuesday of every other month at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Discussion questions put together by Hartley Library Director Heather Skoglund will help lead the conversation.

It is hoped this exciting reading opportunity will increase your love for the outdoors, connect you to others who are also passionate about reading and conservation efforts, and spark quality conversations. The 2021 monthly book pick schedule can be found at http://www.prairieheritagecenter.org.

Participants will meet on Tuesday, April 13 for the second book pick, "The Overstory" by Richard Powers.

To register for the nature and conservation book club email Naturalist Abbie Parker at [email protected]. Once registered, you will get the Zoom link for that month. Please email by 4 p.m. on the day of the book club meeting to gain access to the Zoom link.

Expanded hours at Royal library

The Royal Public Library has expanded its hours. New hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3-5 p.m .; and Tuesday and Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Due to COVID-19, the library will remain locked. Please call (712) 933-5500 or knock at the door during open hours. Social distancing practices will remain and masks will be required.

Preschool and kindergarten roundup at CC/E

The Clay Central/Everly Community School District is inviting all prospective preschool and kindergarten students, along with their parents, to round-up for the 2021-22 school year. The event will be held on Tuesday, March 23 from 6-7 p.m., in the child's future classroom in the Royal building.

Students and parents will have a chance to meet their teacher, tour the building and hear a short informational presentation. Three-year-old preschool students must be 3 before Sept. 15, 2021 while 4-year-old preschool students must be 4 before Sept. 15, 2021. CC/E is partnering with Early Childhood Iowa Lakes Region to offer tuition scholarships.

If you are unable to attend or know of any prospective students, contact Val Johnson at (712) 933-2241.