School bus safety
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Le Mars Community School Foundation receives $1 million bequest
The Le Mars Community Schools Foundation has announced a $1 million gift. The bequest was received from the Fornoff Family Living Trust.
Barbara Jane Fornoff passed away in January of 2022 after a long illness. She was born and raised in Le Mars. She was preceded in death by her brother, John Hart, and sister, Betty Schipper Wells. Upon Barbara’s death, the Foundation received $20,000 to be used for the LCHS Athletic and Music Departments. Following the death of Barbara Fornoff’s son in August of 2025, the School Foundation was named to receive the one-million-dollar bequest from the trust which has now been received.
Dr. Steve Webner, Superintendent of the Le Mars Community School District expressed his appreciation, stating “On behalf of the entire school community, I want to thank the Fornoff family for this extraordinary $1 million gift. Investments like this one provide the opportunity to change the trajectory of student lives.”
Foundation President Zachary Lancaster echoed Dr. Webner’s thoughts, saying “I want to express our deepest gratitude to the Fornoff family for their extraordinary generosity and commitment to the students and families of Le Mars Community Schools. A gift of $1 million is truly transformational and will have a lasting impact on our schools and our community for generations to come. The Fornoff family’s gift is an incredible investment in the future of our students, and we cannot thank them enough for their donation.”
The LCS Foundation board will consider how the bequest will be used in future meetings.
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Pumpkin patch season underway in Sioux Center
On Highway 75 north of Sioux Center, the big metal sign reading “Pumpkin Patch” is a sign that the patch is open, fall is coming, and sweet corn season is nearly at an end.
Dordt University Agriculture Stewardship Center Steward Mike Schouten and Dr. John Olthoff, professor emeritus of agriculture, have been planting half-acre patches of sweet corn since 1989. Schouten says, “We’re usually soaked to the bone by the time we’re done,” with sweet corn harvesting. The duo picks nearly 200 dozen ears of corn on peak days, and about 30,000 ears of corn each season.
As the sweet corn season draws to a close, Schouten’s focus shifts to the agritourism tradition of cultivating the pumpkin patch. Located near the ASC, the patch features a variety of gourds, including the highly popular white, pink, and blue pumpkins. Like the sweet corn, the pumpkins are managed on an honor system, which is a testament to the trust Schouten and Dordt University place in the neighbors and families who visit the patch.
“Fall is a beautiful time of year to get the community out to the farm,” says Schouten. He also stated that, “We host kindergarten groups, families who pick their own pumpkins, and others. We want to provide a good quality product and a service to our neighbors.”
