(Remsen) — The Avalon Ballroom was packed full of supporters Saturday evening as they celebrated the 26th annual “Friends of Remsen St. Mary’s Fundraising Ball.”
A check in the amount of $61,000 was presented to Father Bill McCarthy to help with expenses at the Remsen St. Mary’s schools.
Auctioneer Jim Klein conducted the bidding for the reverse auction that raised $60,155 to help purchase a much needed boiler for the high school, and the top bid for the naming rights of the gymnasium was at $6,400.
Speakers for the event included classmates Bob Augustine and Dean Harpenau from the class of 1985. Both talked about various individuals, from Remsen St. Marys who had a profound impact upon their lives. Both attended college together and
while in college at Mount Marty at Yankton, both speakers were asked to write together about an individual that had a great impact on both of their lives.
They focused on former teacher and baseball coach, the late Marv Thelan.
Harpenau told the gathering that Marv Thelan would always want his players to be mentally prepared for any game, saying the preparation begins the night before a ballgame.
Harpenau says, even today at the state tournaments, people still talk fondly about Theland. He says the Remsen St. Marys coach gave the small school some state-wide recognition.
Harpenau says Theland would instill confidence in students whether it was in the classroom, or on the ball diamond.
Speaker Bob Augustine also spoke of Thelan, saying he would often purchase a ball glove with his own money for any player who could not afford to buy a baseball glove. Augustine says he was able to learn the value of hard work ethnic through a Catholic education. He says he still uses those morals and
life’s values through his career.
Augustine informed the gathering in order to achieve any goals, you must first believe in yourself.
The speaker then reminded the “Friends of Remsen St. Marys” of the many achievements that were accomplished from the little Catholic school during this past school year.
On behalf of the Remsen chapter of the Knights of Columbus, Steve Pick presented a check to Remsen St. Marys officials amounting to $2,000.
Also at the event, Tim Osterman lead the gathering in another rendition of the “Oster Coaster” which was made famous during the appearance at the Iowa Boys State Basketball Tournament held in Des Moines.
With their arms extended above their heads, and swaying from left to right, forward and backwards, the crowd re-enacted the roller coaster cheer. Following the “Oster Coaster,”
Osterman lead the crowd in the familiar chant “I Believe in R-S-M…I Believe in R-S-M…I Believe in R-S-M.”
Secondary Roads Department To Close C-70 Rail Crossing
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Secondary Roads Department will be closing county road C-70 from Highway 75 to Imperial Road on Monday, May 1st. The closure is so the Burlington Northern Railroad can make repairs to a railroad crossing. It is expected the road will be closed for a duration of two days.
Work To Start On Restoring Capitol Building
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Scaffolding will soon envelop the Iowa Capitol dome as workers continue a $10 million renovation project that won’t be finished for at least a year.
Crews began repairs to the 131-year-old building in April but their work will become more evident this week as scaffolding goes up around the dome windows, edging up over lower parts of the Capitol’s gold-plating.
The work is needed to fix internal cracks and exterior weathering.
Officials hope the external work will be completed by Thanksgiving, but the internal fixes are expected to stretch into next spring.
Workers won’t need to re-gild the dome, a task last completed in 1999 at a cost of about $400,000. The gold leaf is expected to last another 10 to 15 years.
MidAmerican Energy To Expand Wind Turbine Farms
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s largest utility is in the midst of a $3.6 billion investment in wind power and intends to keep spending on the towers with a goal of producing 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.
The Des Moines Register reports that MidAmerican Energy plans to build 1,000 more turbines over the next couple of years on top of the more than 2,000 it already has around the state. When completed, the utility’s share of its energy that comes from renewable sources will jump from 55 percent to nearly 90 percent.
CEO Bill Fehrman says it’ll take about $2 billion and 550 turbines more to bring MidAmerican close to 100 percent.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Daniel Shurey says the move would set a new precedent in the country.
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Jurors To Be Selected For Murder Trial
MARENGO, Iowa (AP) – Jurors are scheduled to be chosen Monday for the trial of a federal inmate from Iowa charged with killing his fiancee, who vanished without a trace in 2000.
Tait Purk has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. He’s accused of killing Cora Okonski. Purk has told police that she left their home to walk to the store to buy cigarettes and never returned. Purk has said he told Okonski he wanted to put off their wedding date earlier that day and that she became upset.
Her body has never been found.
Purk’s been serving time on unrelated federal drug and gun charges.
The trial was moved out of Tama County because of pretrial publicity. It’s being held in Iowa County District Court in Marengo.
