Under the Water Tower Lovilia News

Our postmaster here is Martha Viner.  She has held that post for 19 years.  The current hours for business are Monday-Friday 8:45am-11:30am and then after lunch from 12:30pm -3:45pm.  Saturday business time is 8:45am-9:45am.  The phone number is 641-946-8131.  There are 250 delivery boxes in the office box section as well 260 rural route delivery boxes.  A fact many of us may not know is that the Lovilia office administers the Columbia community postal business.  If you want to buy stamps or print a package label you can do so 24 hours a day on your home computer.  The only method of on line payment is the credit card.  To use this service go to usps.com.  Does purchasing on line hurt the Lovilia Post Office?  Martha says,” No, purchases online are credited to Lovilia’s office by tracking the zipcode”.  This is a very helpful tip to workers who are not able to come during normal business hours.

Services are selling postage stamps, shipping packages including express and priority mail, and selling money orders.  Money orders can only be purchased with cash.  Credit card or debit card as well as cash can be used for stamp purchases and shipping packages. Postage stamp cost raises to 44 cents each on May 11, 2009.

Outside of work Martha is active in Lion’s club and P.E.O. which is an organization that provides scholarships for women. Her pet is a Siamese cat and her sport to watch is hockey.  She has three grown children.  Ben is a philosophy professor at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.  Josh is an equine veterinarian in Opelousas, Louisiana. Daughter Meg is an assistant manager at Marion, Iowa Hyvee grocery store.

It is wonderful to have our own post office and Martha says it should be here for many years to come.

James Findley Sr. and his wife Margaret settled here in 1837

That was one year before Iowa became a state.  The farm they started east of Lovilia is still being farmed by their descendants.  Jerry Findley and wife Tonya bought the farm from his dad and are the sixth generation to farm that land.  This makes them one of the oldest if not the oldest farm in Monroe County still in the same families  hands.  Jerry’s parents are David and Lorraine Findley. That is a wonderful family history of being rooted in one place for 172 years.  Albia celebrates there existence as a town this year for 150 years.  Findleys have 22 more years of history! wow!  Best wishes that you continue this family heritage.

IN Memory

Pauline Welsh, age 84, lifetime resident of the Lovilia area died April 12, 2009.  She was preceded in death by her husband William “Bill” Welsh.  She has four sons.  Gene of Urbandale, Iowa and Tim, Tom, and Pat of Lovilia.  She enjoyed her time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She was and active member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church and worked many hours with the ladies of St. Peter’s Altar and Rosary Society.  She was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Weller, Iowa.

Lovilia Seniors Win Honors

Devon Gottschalk and Shelby Wuebker received the Academic Achievement Award at the the State FFA meeting.  Both have been active in FFA all through high school at Albia.

Nathan Chamberlain, son of Pam and Calvin, won an award as outstanding soloist at the statewide  Jazz Championships in DesMoines.  He plays piano in the Eddyville-Blakesburg High School Jazz Band. His piano teacher is Margaret Kistler of Oskaloosa. Nathan is a senior this year and will enter William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri in the fall.  He will remain active in their music program and study international relations.

Aaron Kurimski on well ranked Academic Team

Albia high school academic team was fourth of of 12 teams that competed in a conference academic bowl and freshman, Aaron Kurimski, son of Bernard and Helen was a part of the team. Good job.

May 3, 2009 Celebration at St. Peter’s Church, Lovilia

After mass a pancake breakfast was served at the church hall to honor three special groups of young people.  Group one was the children receiving first communion, Daniel Beary and Jer McAninch.  Group 2 was the young people who received the sacrament of confirmation, Laura Davis, Emma Davis, and Jacqueline Gilbert.  Group 3 are the high school graduates, Devon Gottschalk, Andrew Kurimski, Shelby Wuebker, and Ricky Gilbert.

Devon plans to study mechanical engineering at the university in Ames, Iowa.  Andrew plans to attend Drake University,Des Moines, Iowa. Shelby will finish two years at IHCC in Ottumwa and then transfer to a four year university to study psychiatry.  Ricky will finish his summer baseball season and then pick a school where he wants to be in their ball program.

Hastings Coon Hound a Champion

Tom Hastings and son Andrew entered their dog, Betsy Lou in the UKC state hunt in February.  They came in first one day and second the second day with enough points to earn the overall championship.  There were about 70 dogs in competition.  Congratulation guys!

Wallace Tire and Supply has been in business in Lovilia since 1995.  It is located at 2202 Highway 5 and that location is what drew Rob Wallace to set up his business there.  The phone number at the store is 641-946-9500. Business hours are 8am-5pm Monday through Friday. If there is work to be done he will be there on Saturday as needed.

Rob retails tires for cars, pickups and farm tractors.  He will also repair tires.  Minor vehicle repair is also part of his services.  Since his dad died, Rob plans to take over his used car business and also sell salvaged parts.

He lives on a hobby farm and has 20 head of cattle and 200 acres of hay.  One favorite pastime for him is wild turkey hunting.  You can see some of the feathers mounted on display in the tire shop.  Once a year in the fall you can find him at Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch near Columbia selling Kettle Korn for the visitors. That is a sweet sideline!

Rob’s family includes his wife, Renee, a registered nurse.  He has four children:  Rhianna, 18; Ross, 16: Rebecca, 14; and Reese, 8.  Rhianna will graduate from Twin Cedars this May and is enrolled at Kansas State University in Manhatten, Kansas.

Drama depicts the Passion of Christ

Local family John Bacon, Kathy, and daughters Claira and Rachel are apart of this wonderful live presentation at the Moravia Church of the Nazarene.  John and Claira play the father and his dead daughter whom Jesus restores to life. John also plays a Roman soldier. Rachel is a child with a palm branch celebrating Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Kathy is behind the scenes caring for little ones in the church nursery whose parents are in the cast or in the audience.  The play lasts about two  hours and is filled with music, singing, and acting out the teaching, miracles, and passion of Jesus.  Over 50 people in period costume on the stage at once with very professional sets and props.  It is good to have reservations as the house is packed with people from all over Iowa and Missouri.  All seats are good as they have auditorium style seating. The entrance to the church is even filled with baby lambs, chicks, calf, and ducks cared for by children and adults in period costume.  The life of Jesus really comes alive!  I highly recommend it.  They will perform at 7pm on Good Friday for the last time this year.  But you can plan to go next year if you can’t this time as they have this elaborate drama each year. There is no admission charge but donations are accepted after the show to help defray costs of the production.

Warning to Computer Users

I learned the hard way after turning a deaf ear to my husband and three children since we bought the computer.  They had told me not to open forwards and attachments because they can hold a secret invader.  I would respond but they are just cute jokes and games from friends and I have done it for years with no trouble.  BAM!  That all came to a screeching halt and the computer was turned to totally witless and unable to perform.

That is why I have been silent until now but my husband finally revived the PC and so I have been sworn never to open forwards and attachments no matter how enticing.  This is all I have to say on the matter.

I hope my hard lesson will save you a hard lesson.

The editor, yours truly, just got the computer back and I was laid low by some kind of nasty bug for two weeks.  Now nearly normal, or as normal as I ever am,  I will chat with you again.

Our Kids Around the World

Nikki Gilbert is teaching English in Japan.  This is her third year. This is after spending a couple of years in Russia.  Her goal is to see all the seven wonders of the world.  I know she will do it!!

Emily Plum is married to an engineer from Turkey and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.  She escorts college student groups to foreign countries.  Most recently to Turkey.  She also spent time in Japan teaching and traveled to Mexico, Spain, and others.

My daughter spent three weeks living in Bolivia with a local family and immersed in the culture for Spanish class while at college.

My son Morgan spent a semester of college in Wales and now is spending two months in Grimsby ,England with a college friend.

My son Wes had friends and college roommates from the Phillippines, Myranmar, Ecuador, Japan, etc.

Let me know if you have kids overseas.  It is such fun to hear what they are experiencing.

When I graduated from high school in 1968 we did not think we would see the world unless uncle Sam sent us to Vietnam or some other military zone.  Kids today are taking it as no big thing and most colleges encourage time in another culture as part of a well rounded education.

My hope is that since they know people in so many places personally that it will reduce the call to war and improve relations worldwide.  If not with our children then for our grandchildren.  That is my Easter prayer.

Iowa Third in the USA

Iowa now is third in the USA for wind power production. That is something to be proud of.  Iowa is doing well because it has steady wind and is close enough from the wind production site to population centers to make it efficient to produce.  Energy experts say if you have to transport the electricity more than 500 miles that is not efficient.  Most places in Iowa can reach the distribution site in 200 miles. Individual home turbines have to be 100-150 feet high to escape turbulence and are noisier than town people want but they are being improved all the time and we may still seem them in our future.

Catholic Altar Servers are Grandparent and Grandchild

Something new is happening at the Catholic church in Knoxville.  Recently grandmothers are serving the altar at mass alongside their grandchildren.  Recently Bea Lenger and her grandson, Justin Lenger served together.  Justin’s dad is Jack Lenger.  Bea was a member of St. Peter’s church in Lovilia for many years and moved away to Knoxville  when her husband Ed died.  Bea grew up when girls could not help at the altar and to help now she says is an honor.

Hope Lodge Free to Cancer Patients in Treatment at Iowa City

This information is from the American Cancer Society.  This lodge opened in 2008.  It offers a home-like environment free of charge.  Hope Lodge guests and caregivers receive moralsupport and encouragement from other guests with similar stories and can access American Cancer Society’s support programs while there.  Parents can stay their with a child receiving treatment and spouses can stay with their spouse.  For more information go to www.cancer.org/hopelodge or call 1-800-227-2345.

Let your relatives and friends know about the lodges too as they have other lodges in 18 states and Puerto Rico and are building more.

Quotes to Ponder

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”  said by Audery Hepburn (for those under 50 years old she was a famous movie star who had great class and dignity. She later worked on behalf of children for the United Nations.

Saturday evening from 5pm to 8pm you can come to the community building in Lovilia and have supper, buy some homemade baked goods, and bid at an auction.  All proceeds will benefit the family of Colton Matthew Groenendyk, infant son of Stephanie Pearson and Matt Groenendyk of Lovilia.  They are having time off from work and extra travel expenses to tend to Colton in the hospital in DesMoines.  Come support them and have a good meal and shop at the auction.

Do You Have Empathy for the Acmes and Nadirs of Human Experience?

The what?  If you do not know about the acmes and nadirs, you are not alone.  This phrase was in a report from my daughter’s college in a story about a professor who is also a writer.  It tweaked my curiosity so I pulled out the dictionary to solve the mystery.  Acme is the highest point of something and nadir is the lowest point of something.  So now you have it and you can thrill your family and confuse your enemies by lacing your conversation with those two words.

Economic Downturn

The news is full of negative data on the stock market, unempoyment, layoffs, and cost of living. So I think it is time to put it all in perspective.

Mr. Moore wrote from Guatemala that he was at an annual village festival   He noticed a poorly dressed family standing and watching the music and so on.  A man was nearby selling ice cream cones for ten cents each.  Soon the father went over and paid for one cone and returned to his wife and two small children.  They then passed the cone back and forth until all four had some of the ice cream.

A laywoman who works for a church mission in Chile said their rental home had a woodburning stove that heated one room and that is all the heat for the home.  They longed for more warmth.  Then one day a neighbor lady and her young daughter came to visit.  Everyone sat near the wood stove and chatted.  The neighbor said the warm stove was very nice.  The little girl said yes but I will really miss the warmth when we leave.  Then it struck the missionary that most homes in town had no stove to heat the home in winter at all.  She realized her wood stove was a luxury in Chile.

So, we have to put everything in perspective. If we have food on the table daily, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads we should count our blessings.

And when we have a shortage of funds we still can offer our time and talent. As quoted from Pauline R. Kezer,”When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better”.

Lent

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 25th.  Attend the church of your choice and start the journey to Easter.  The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s organization to support the family and do community service has fish fry suppers every Friday of Lent at the KC club in Albia.  The Lovilia members will be serving the meal on March 20th.  If you enjoy a catfish or shrimp meal, be sure to go.  All the profits from the fish frys go to local community charities.

I hope other churches in Lovilia or nearby who have members in Lovilia will send me announcements about their activities so I can post them here on the website.

John has not only one business, he has three.  He instructs adults and children to play musical instruments, he records musicians or singers on CDs, and he repairs recording studio equipment.

Music intstructor

He teaches children starting at age five on up to adults in their eighties.  The studio has  rock key boards and a grand piano for instruction on keyboard.  Guitars can be acoustic, electric,  steel and lead guitar or bass.  Drummers can get lessons to on a trap set.

Lessons are available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 1pm-8:30pm at the studio 1614 E Avenue in Lovilia directly across from city hall.  Lessons are $50 per month for a half hour lesson each week. John’s favorite music is rhythm and blues or jazz but he will teach all music styles.  He currently has nearly 20 students but last year had forty before these hard economic times hit town.

Last summer he formed a rock band with several students so that at their lessons they could learn to jam and play together as a group.  At the end of the summer they performed on the bandstand at the Knoxville square.  Later they performed in concert at the Marion Co. Fairgrounds and had 1000 people in the audience who were enthusiastic about their music.  The band was named Magnum Chromatic and they are still doing gigs together.  Matthew Showers, son of Rod Showers who grew up in Lovilia and now lives in Knoxville, is a member of the group.

John has a group of senior students made up of retired persons who want to form a band and practice together this summer.  Maybe we can get them to perform at the community building outdoor stage for us.

If you would like to inquire about lessons, call John at 641-946-8160.

John’s background

He grew up east of here near Lake Miami and attended and graduated from Albia High School. He played keyboard and guitar then and  had lessons on them until graduating from school  . He started teaching music right away and has given lessons now for twenty years.  He also played with a blues band called “Yetti Blues Band” that was honored by being inducted into the Iowa Hollywood Rock N Roll Hall of Fame at Okoboji in Arnold’s Park. Each year there is an annual concert and new inductees are brought in to the Hall of Fame.  He is currently playing in a blues band that plays in Melcher, Sigourney, Johnston, and DesMoines.

Location of Studio

John and his family had out grown their studio and living quarters in Knoxville and were looking for a larger site.  His friends and customers said he needed to be in Des Moines.  Then Martha Sweem told him when he came to get his mail that the former De Long building was for sale.  John told her it was out of his price range but Martha said she thought they would be willing to negotiate a price and to call the CEO in Grinnell, Iowa.  He did.  They did.  He has the studio and it is just what he needed for space.  He has  customers come regularly from Boone and Des Moines.  After high school John put in seven years at Vermeer in Pella.  Always having the nagging desire to go into the music business full time,  he made that leap about eight years ago.

Recording studio and repair of recording equipment

John is set up to repair equipment in the buildings basement and has projects going there all the time.  At the recording end he not only records but designs and engineers studio equipment.  He is doing research and development in that area now.  If a customer wants to record say, a demo CD, they can show to potential clients, they pay John $50 an hour for the number of hours needed.  Some can do a demo in five hours, others could take up to 50 for a longer session.  He can do a CD in Lovilia .  If a person wants a vinyl recording he can do the master here and send it away to be done in vinyl.

Family

His wife, Karen, was a Farrington and grew up just northwest of Lovilia.  She and John have two daughters.  Sylvia 11 and Sophie 6.  Both girls are learning piano and guitar.

New citizen

Colton Matthew was born January 15, 2009 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. His parents are Stephanie Pearson and Matt Groenendyk of Lovilia. His grandmother is the late Kendra Pearson and great grandparents are Ben and Charlotte Pettyjohn.  Colton arrived three weeks early and it will be a while before he can come home to Lovilia.  Let’s keep Colton and his parents in our prayers.

Wedding Anniversaries

25th anniversary celebrated by Jim and Debbie Gass on Jan. 21

50th anniversary celebrated by Tom and Donna Romanco on Jan. 17

60th anniversary celebrated by Darwin and Bonnie Gordon Jan. 2009

You show us the sign of lasting love and vows.  May God bless you now and always.

Assault  on Four Men on East side of Lovilia

Last week as four men were working in a garage, a mouse rushed out to terrorize them.  All four men were caught of guard but rallied around one man who after several attempts dispatched the mouse.  Breathing a deep sigh of relief, the men can be thanked for returning peace and safety to the east side.

Memory notes

Bob Wallace died recently.  You will remember him as a former postmaster at Lovilia for several years.

His son Rob, owns and operates Wallace Tire shop on Hwy 5 in Lovilia.  Our sympathy to Rob and his family

Chris McCombs died last week.  He is the son of Chris McCombs of Lovilia  His mother is Judy Cooley and his stepfather is Bob Cooley of Lovilia. His brother Fred and family are residents too.  Our sympathy to all his family.

May both of these men rest in peace.

New website for fun

You can have fun at this new site plinky.com which lets you answer fun questions and then post to your blog or twitter, etc.  Wesley Beary is one of their computer programmers and has worked on the site for over six months and it just launched about a week ago.  Wesley attended K-4 at Lovilia with super teachers and then through high school in Albia. He received a bachelor’s degree at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.  He now lives in California and works at the Plinky office in Lafayette.

Lovilia Community Building

Volunteers are busy doing maintenance and upgrades to improve the kitchen.  We are looking forward to seeing the finished work.  The building is supported by rent, donations, and fundraisers.  No tax money goes there.  We thank all the volunteers and supporters who keep this asset to the community available to us all.

Recent Robberies

Due to recent break-ins in Monroe County, we suggest you not leave valuables or keys in your vehicles and leave your homes and businesses locked.  It appears they tried cars until they found unlocked ones and then stole stuff.  So heads up…………………………

What is your house number?

Some people in Lovilia don’t know and don’t care as the mail comes to a post office box.
But you do need to know your number and have it posted where drivers on the street can read it?
Why? In an emergency, that is how the firemen and ambulance will find you. In emergency situations every minute counts.

Some firemen have stated that in Lovilia they have been delayed because there was no house number and it slows them down in reaching the house.

Lovilia city ordinance asked that house numbers be posted on the house in a easy to spot location from the street.
Numbers need to be 2 1/2 inches high or larger to be seen from the street.

They need to be a different color from the wall they are mounted on to be seen also.

I did a little shopping research to see where to find them in Knoxville and what prices the numbers are sold for.

TrueValue has 3 inch number for 89 cents per number.
Hardware Hank Coast has 3 inch number in a package of 27 for $3.39 (4 each of 1 and 2;3 each of 3-5 and 0;and 2 each of 4,6,7,8, and 9)
Farm and Home has 4 inch plastic numbers for $1.49 each. Or plastic 4 inch for 69 cents each.There are 4 inch solid brass ones for $2.39 each.
Or adhesive 3 inch numbers for 89 cents each. Last they have a package of 26 numbers 3 inches high for $3.19.

Walmart has 4 inch brass numbers for $2.16 each. Or 4 inch plastic for $1.12 each. Or 3 inch reflector adhesive numbers for 58 cents each.
Or the package of 26 numbers of 3 inch high adhesive numbers for $2.74. If you find one or two people to share one of these 26 packs, your numbers will cost you only pennies!!!

So for about $3 dollars and some change, post that number, and you can be easy to find when you call for help.

It will also help UPS or other delivery systems find you with those packages you have ordered that need to be delivered to a street address.

If you don’t know your correct house number do this:

Contact the Lovilia city clerk’s office at city hall or the number of your house can also be found on the water/sewer bill under the words “service address”.
IN Memory: Longtime resident died this week, Adeline Haycock. May she rest in peace.

Wisdom: When it is below freezing, don’t stick your tongue on a flag pole.

Don’t eat yellow snow.

If you have questions or comments on our website send them to me at undertower.beary8@gmail.com