08/24/23: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Aging agency receives award from USAging

Elderbridge Agency on Aging’s CommUNITY Kindness Project was selected to receive a 2023 Aging Achievement Award from USAging. The volunteer project was among 50 local aging programs to receive honors during USAging’s 48th Annual Conference and Tradeshow, July 16-19 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The 2023 USAging Aging Innovations & Achievement Awards recognize USAging’s Area Agency on Aging and Title VI Native American Aging Program members that have found new and innovative ways to support older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers as they live in their homes and communities.

The CommUNITY Kindness Project is dedicated to helping aging adults served by Elderbridge receive outdoor chore services from volunteers. Staff members recognized a significant need for individuals to receive assistance with yard work, beyond available funding.

The program was launched in the fall of 2021. Sixteen aging adults were provided yard work by Elderbridge volunteers, individuals from a local bank and students from a local community college. Community and intergenerational involvement have resulted in approximately 75 volunteers assisting with raking, cleaning up debris, trimming, weeding, laying mulch, edging and putting away outdoor summer equipment.

According to the news release, “The Elderbridge Volunteer Program is essential to meeting the needs of the aging population in rural Iowa. Community support and intergenerational projects help older adults remain in their beloved homes and community. It teaches the younger population and community members the value of volunteerism and appreciation for those older members who have helped to establish their great community.”

Elderbridge is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit Area Agency on Aging, currently serving a 29-county region. Their nearest office is located at Spencer.

Creative Arts is back at CCF

The Clay County Fair Creative Arts department is back showcasing the creative skills of exhibitors at the 2023 Clay County Fair Powered SMU, Sept. 9-17.

Besides the special feature class, there are more than 30 other sponsored award classes, including woodturning, printed fabrics, fused glass, mixed media, clothing accessories, molded and youth 2-D paintings and pottery.

New to the Creative Arts department is the Memorable Collections competition. This competition lets exhibitors display their favorite collections that they have gathered. Collections should be displayed with items that best represent it with photos and a short story telling why the collection is important and memorable.

The Quilt Block Contest for 2023, sponsored by Quilt Steeple, is also new for the Creative Arts department. To participate in this contest you must buy a quilt block contest kit before entering for this year. The blocks from the contest will be made into a quilt and will be raffled off with the winner being announced in June 2024.

Traditional competitions returning include needlework, painting, crochet, quilting, patchwork, garment making and woodworking.

Entries are open to all ages from any county or state. Check out the exhibitor handbook online at http://www.claycountyfair.com or pick one up at the Fair Administrative Offices to find the rules and guidelines to enter your work at the fair.

For those who didn’t pre-register by Aug. 21, registration can also occur when entries are accepted on Friday, Sept. 1 (noon-7 p.m.) and Saturday, Sept. 2 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.).

NWI fishing report

Water temperatures were in the low 80s to upper 70s last week. Most area water levels are slightly below crest. Anglers have found the most success fishing off rock points and the edges of weed lines.

East Okoboji Lake: Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, fair. Most bluegill have moved deeper; you can still be successful fishing from a dock or shore. Use a small hook and piece of worm. Walleye, fair. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting will be needed.

Ingham Lake: Walleye, fair. Anglers have been successful morning and evening.

Lost Island Lake: Black crappie, fair. Walleye, fair. Try trolling with spinners over weeds.

Minnewashta Lake: Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, fair. Pumpkinseed, good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): The lake is experiencing a large algae bloom. Black bullhead, good. Walleye, fair. Try trolling with spinners over or off weed lines.

Spirit Lake: You may have to move out deeper to find the edge of weed lines. Anglers Bay has large stands of native vegetation growing across large portions of the area, making navigation more difficult.

Black bullhead, good. Anglers have been very successful fishing the north grade. Black crappie, fair. Many nice-sized fish have been seen lately. Bluegill, good. Try a small hook with a small piece of worm from the docks. Walleye, fair. Leeches and minnows work well. Anglers have been successful with slip bobbers off points and pulling spinners over vegetation. Yellow perch, fair.

West Okoboji Lake: Black crappie, fair. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill, good. Bluegill are moving off beds to deeper water post-spawn. Pumpkinseed, good. Walleye, fair. Leeches and minnows work well. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting may be needed.

Numerous prizes to be given for blue ribbon cooking at 2023 CCF

With over 40 divisions, there is a bit of everything for everyone who want to enter their kitchen creations to win blue ribbons and cash prizes at the 2023 Clay County Fair Sept. 9-17.

Besides classic categories like chocolate chip cookies, pies, and other baked goods, there are several other contests for exhibitors to enter in the oven products department, including the $1,500 Cinnamon Roll Contest. The contest will be held on Monday, Sept. 11 and is sponsored by Farmer’s Savings Bank, Edward Jones, and Asher Motor Company.

There are also 11 other contests to enter during the fair. Open class baked goods start off the week on Sept. 8-9. Sept. 10 is when Mrs. Bonser’s Casserole Creation Contest kicks off followed by the King Arthur Flour Contests. Next up, Sept. 13 brings the Charcuterie Board Contest sponsored by The Butchery. Sept. 14 brings in Janice Nostom’s Non-Traditional Cinnamon Roll Contest. On deck Sept. 15 is the Clay County Pork Producer’s Breakfast Burrito Contest, KICD’s Jell-O Salad Contest, and Bruce Piper’s Two Crust Apple Pie Contest. Lastly on Sept. 16, the Mrs. Grimes’ Wild Game Chili Contest, Betty Pothast Angel Food Contest, and Northwest Iowa Beekeepers Energy Bites Contest all occur.

Another popular competition at the Clay County Fair is the canned goods and dried foods department. This department will feature many of the same classes as previous years, including meats, pickles, vegetables, juices, and jellies and jams.

Entries are open to all ages from any county or state. Check out the exhibitor handbook online at http://www.claycountyfair.com or pick one up at the fair Administrative Offices to find the rules and guidelines to enter your work at the fair. Pre-registration for all exhibits was due Aug. 21. For those who did not to pre-register, registration can also occur when entries are accepted.

Wine and beer competition at Clay County Fair

The Home Wine and Craft Beer Department will include 15 divisions in the wine category and nine divisions in the craft beer category for the 2023 Clay County Fair.

Prizes will include wine stoppers, gift certificates, and a one night stay at InnSpiration Winery loft vacation rental. The blue ribbon winner of the beer division will have the opportunity to partner with The Iowa Project and brew their beer.

All exhibitors planning to enter a project within this department must enter two bottles of wine or craft beer. This allows for the entry to be judged and displayed during the nine days of the fair, Sept. 9-17.

Entries are open to all from any county or state. Check out the exhibitor handbook online at http://www.claycountyfair.com or pick one up at the Fair Administrative Offices to find the rules and guidelines to enter your work at the Fair. Pre-registration was due Aug. 21. For those who choose not to pre-register, registration can also occur when entries are accepted on Sept. 5 (8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.).

State fair presidential straw poll results

Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Raymond Wagner received the most votes in each of their political parties in Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s 2023 State Fair Straw Poll. Throughout the fair, more than 4,700 votes were cast for preferred presidential candidates at the Iowa Secretary of State’s booth.

Of the three candidates featured in the Democratic straw poll, Joe Biden received the most votes with 66.97 percent of votes, followed by Robert F. Kennedy (18.76 percent), and Marianne Williamson (14.27 percent). Of the 13 candidates featured in the Republican straw poll, Donald Trump received the most votes with 42.47 percent of votes cast, followed by Ron DeSantis (15.31 percent, Tim Scott (11.09 percent), and Vivek Ramaswamy (9.37 percent). Raymond Wagner and Chase Oliver were tied for the most votes in the Libertarian Party, each receiving 18.88 percent of votes cast.