03/21/24: Community Calendar

Final Legion fish fry is this Friday

The Hartley American Legion Family will hold its third and final fish fry on Friday, March 22.

Proceeds from the meals benefit the projects of the Legion Family. See the ad on Page 10 for more details.

Hartley Community Center VIP Supper

The Hartley Community Center will hold its VIP Supper on Saturday, April 6. This year’s entertainment features magical comedy with Alan Sands.

Cocktail hour and a meal also highlight the evening’s schedule. See the ad on Page 3 for more details.

Red’s Catering menu

Red’s Catering in downtown Hartley will be serving a variety of specials on Wednesday, March 27.

See the ad on Page 3 for more details.

CC/E annual fish fry

Clay Central/Everly will host its annual fish fry fundraiser on Friday, March 22, in Royal. A family carnival will also be held.

Proceeds will support CC/E’s lunch program. See the ad on Page 4 for more details.

H-M-S softball team egging local yards

Members of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn softball team will be egging area yards prior to Easter as a fundraiser.

See the ad on Page 3 for more details.

Easter egg hunts planned in area

Sanborn: First Reformed Church in Sanborn is hosting a community Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 23. The church is located 522 Summit Avenue.

Children up to age 12 are invited to participate in the hunt, which begins at 10 a.m.

Hartley: Community Memorial Health Center and the I.E.F. Club will host their annual egg hunt at CMHC on Saturday, March 30 at 10 a.m. Ages 0-10 are welcome, and all participants will receive a prize.

Children will be split into different age groups and the Easter Bunny will be present for photo-ops. Please park in the Grace Fellowship parking lot and bring a bag or basket.

Everly: The Clay County Countrymen 4-H Club and Everly Lions Club will host an Easter egg hunt at Everly Community Park on Saturday, March 30 at 10 a.m. Children ages 0-10 are welcome to participate.

Royal: Royal Community Action will host an egg hunt at Royal City Park on Saturday, March 30. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. for children ages 0-12. Participants will be split into different age groups.

Trinity UCC beef supper is April 3

Trinity United Church of Christ in Hartley will hold its annual beef supper on Wednesday, April 3 from 5-7 p.m. The menu features roast beef with all the trimmings.

See the ad on Page 4 for more details.

Upcoming blood drives in Clay Co.

LifeServe Blood Center is calling all community members to participate in a blood donation drive this spring. Schedule an appointment at an upcoming blood drive at the following locations.

• Peterson: Monday, March 25, from 2-6 p.m. at 101 East 2nd Street.

• Spencer: Monday, April 1, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 901 11th Street SW.

Schedule a blood donation appointment online at lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903.

Regular hours at Royal library

Hours at the Royal Public Library are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3-5 p.m .; and Tuesday and Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

HLC food pantry

Current hours for the food pantry at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly are Wednesdays, 1-5 p.m. Everyone is allowed to come in and pick out their food, but masks are required.

Special tax mailing to property owners

Property owners in Iowa will receive a new mailing which will contain information about the proposed property tax rates for the next fiscal year. Iowa Code 24.2A requires that a budget statement be mailed to property owners by March 20 of each year.

The budget statement will include information regarding school, county and city proposed tax rates as well as information about scheduled public hearings regarding the proposed tax rates.

The budget statement will include the following information: Date, time and location of public hearings to consider proposed property tax rates for the next fiscal year; phone number and website (if applicable) for each associated taxing authority; current, effective and proposed tax rate information; and comparison of current, effective and proposed tax rates.

Additional information regarding the budget statement will be made available online at https://dom.iowa.gov/property-taxes on or after March 20.

Property tax installments due April 1

The second half installment of property taxes is due March 31. According to the Clay County Treasurer’s Office, since that date falls on a weekend property owners have until Monday, April 1, to pay without penalty at the office or payment must be postmarked by April 1.

In Clay County, payments may be made Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the office located at 300 West 4th Street in Spencer. Payments may be also made by mail or dropped off in the boxes on the north and south side of the Administration Building.

Property tax information may be obtained online at http://www.iowatreasurers.org or by calling the treasurer’s office at (712) 262-2179. Transaction fees apply to payments made online by E-check or with the use of debit and credit cards.

Clay Co. Fair Queen apps open thru April 8

The search is underway for candidates to compete for the 2024 Clay County Fair Queen title. The winner, to be crowned Sunday, April 28, will reign over this year’s Clay County Fair and will also compete for the Iowa State Fair Queen title.

Females between the ages of 16 and 21 by Aug. 8, the first day of the 2024 Iowa State Fair, may apply. Candidates must never have been married, cannot be a professional model, cannot represent any other organization as a queen, and must reside in Clay County or an adjoining county if the majority of her activities are in Clay County. Applicants must be a member of at least one service organization such as 4-H, Girl Scouts or a church group. (Eligibility is not limited to 4-H or FFA membership.)

The Clay County Fair Queen will represent the Clay County Fair at the Flagfest Parade in June, the Iowa State Fair during the queen contest, selected celebrations during the summer, and the Clay County Fair in September. The fair will be flexible with appearance dates if the queen has educational conflicts during her reign.

In addition to her crown and title, the Clay County Fair Queen will receive many valuable prizes from local and area business, including over $1,500 in scholarship money.

Applications are available online at https://claycountyfair.com/get-involved/fair-queen/. The application must be submitted to the Clay County Fair Queen Contest, PO Box 527, Spencer, Iowa 51301 or emailed to [email protected] on or before April 8. A committee will then select the finalists who will compete for the title on Sunday, April 28 at the Clay County Regional Events Center.

Finalists will be notified by April 15 and will receive more information regarding the next phase of the competition. Candidates will be judged on personality, attitude, awareness, leadership and citizenship, contribution to the community, overall appearance, charm, poise and her three-minute or less self-expression portion. All Clay County Fair Queen Contest judges’ decisions will be final.

CC/E menus

Monday-Friday, March 25-29: No School – Spring Break.

Spencer Hospital to host Women & Wellness

Spencer Hospital will host “Women & Wellness,” a free women’s health and wellness event on Thursday, April 14 from 5-7 p.m.

The event will take place in the lower level conference rooms of Spencer Hospital and the Women’s Center. Additionally, the Spencer Hospital Gift Shop will be open during the event for attendees to enjoy some shopping.

Several booths will be staffed by health professionals offering valuable women’s health information. Attendees can also look forward to snacks, goodie bags and giveaways. Plus, those interested can schedule a screening mammogram or a relaxing chair massage with the talented students of the Iowa Lakes Massage Therapy program in advance.

Activities planned for the April 4 Women & Wellness event include:

• 4:30-6:30 p.m.– Mammograms: If you are due for a screening mammogram or have been putting it off, now’s the time to act. Typically, there’s no out-of-pocket cost for a screening mammogram through your wellness coverage. To schedule a mammogram for this evening, please call (712) 264-6181.

• 5-6:30 p.m. – Women’s Health & Wellness Booths: This come-and-go event allows women the opportunity to visit with health experts on a variety of topics including breast health, pelvic and gynecology health, incontinence care, diabetes management, nutrition, bone health, mental health, and much more!

• 5-6:30 p.m. – Chair Massages with ILCC Massage Therapy: Treat yourself to a relaxing chair massage while supporting the Iowa Lakes Massage Therapy program. The students will be offering 15-minute chair massages for $10 each, with proceeds going to support the massage therapy club activities. To reserve your massage spot, scan the QR code or use the sign-up form on Spencer Hospital’s website, which is included under the “Classes & Events” tab. Massages are payable at time of service.

• 6:30-7 PM – “Hormones & Your Health” with Dr. Amy Jochims: Join Dr. Jochims, family medicine physician at Avera Medical Group Spencer, for a group presentation on the topic “Hormones & Your Health,” followed by a question and answer session.

While pre-registration is encouraged for screening mammograms and the massages provided by Iowa Lakes, walk-ins will also be welcomed if schedules allow.

Al Anon meetings

Al Anon meetings are held at the following locations each week:

Wednesday, 8 p.m., 511 Southmoor, Spencer; Thursday, 8 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Royal; Sunday, 7 p.m., Sanford Medical Center, 118 N 7th Ave., Sheldon.

All are welcome to attend.

HMS menus

Monday, March 25-Friday, March 29: No School – Spring Break.

Movie night at Melvin FRC

The next movie night at First Reformed Church in Melvin will be Palm Sunday evening, March 24, at 7 p.m. At that time the movie “Courageous Legacy” will be shown.

The film is about four men who have one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers they are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. When tragedy hits home they are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith and their fathering.

“Courageous Legacy” will have viewers laughing, crying and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That’s courageous.

Refreshments will be served during a brief intermission.

Kids’ craft day at Hartley library

A kids’ craft day will be held at the Hartley Public Library on Tuesday, March 26, starting at 1 p.m.