by Marianne Gasaway
I received a Facebook message on New Year’s Eve with a suggestion: “This January, start the year with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen. Then, on New Year’s Eve, empty it to cherish all of the amazing things in your life.”
I’m way ahead of you Facebook.
A few weeks ago, as I was busy compiling top news stories of 2022, I kept stopping to re-read stories that were just plain fun to report. They didn’t really make the cut as the top local newsmakers, but in retrospect I think maybe they should have. An argument can be made that they are every bit as impactful as multi-million state grants, new community amenities, major business announcements and the like.
So this week, as we begin 2023, I share “The Year in Cheer.” May your jar be filled with notes about good things in 2023.
Small acts of kindness
In January we shared the story of young Jude Nicholson. Since he was little more than two-years-old, Jude had been waving to motorists picking up students at Clear Creek Elementary each afternoon.
Buses are his real love, but Jude does not discriminate. He waves at SUVs, mid-size cars and mini-vans as they pull in and out of the school parking lots across the street from his home. And the vast majority of drivers and passengers wave back— even rolling down their windows to shout out hello, or thanks. Some even stop with gifts. He was named the Bob Wolfram Community Volunteer of the Week and presented with a certificate and prize, as well as a book donated by local author Rachel Smith.
His friendliness also caught the attention of the school district, which invited him to visit its bus barn and climb aboard.
“About once a week a bus will stop and the driver will give him a sucker or pass along a present from someone who said he made their day,” explained Jude’s father, Jeremy, who accompanies his son daily. Jeremy said he is not sure why Jude has such an interest in buses, but he surely does. And not just big yellow school buses. Smaller transports, like the ones used by organizations, or mini-vans are also in his vocabulary wheelhouse.
Jude’s likes don’t begin and end with buses and waving at them as they pass. “He loves dinosaurs, too. But they’re not walking by,” he laughed.
Clear Lake Fish Hatchery
begins its 100th year
The Clear Lake Fisheries Station, operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources turned 100 in 2022.
The station got its start as a part-time hatchery in May of 1922. Construction was completed just before Christmas in 1921 at a cost of $10,000. The hatchery’s first season was a successful one, with production of 10 million walleye fry. Oddly enough, these fry were not hatched from eggs collected from Clear Lake, but from eggs that had been shipped to it from Bay City, Mich. The plan had been to just “test run” the new hatchery facilities the first season and to start collecting eggs from Clear Lake the following 1923 season.
During the early years of the station, just before the walleye spawn started, a crew from the Spirit Lake Hatchery would come down and open up the Clear Lake facility, net the fish, tend to the collected eggs, and stock the fry after they hatched. Then, they closed down the Clear Lake operation, locked the doors and traveled back to Spirit Lake Hatchery to tend to their duties there.
The fountain in the photo, along with a permanent house for the caretaker which had been promised to the city as part of the development back in 1921, were added in 1927. During a renovation of the facilities in 1964 the two lower buildings, along with the decorative fountain, were removed.
Farming community unites to complete harvest
When the local farming community lost one of their own, a flood of volunteers did not hesitate to step up and complete harvest for a grieving family.
“In my 58 years of farming, I’ve been involved in a couple of these farmers-helping-farmers events, but this one hits especially close to home,” said Ron Franks, who organized the effort.
John Jordan was just a teen living in Fertile when Ron recalls meeting him and eventually hiring the 16-year-old to do some work on his rural Clear Lake farm. He was employed by the Franks’ for 10-years before he was able to get a farmstead of his own and eventually raise a family there. John and his wife, Michelle, happily made their home on the land for 32 years and enjoyed being part of the farming community. Then, the unthinkable happened. At the age of 59, John passed away in April 2022.
“I knew I wanted people to help get John’s crop out, but I didn’t know they would volunteer,” Ron explained. “I had a list of people to call and they all gave me pretty much the same response, ‘You bet. Let me know what you need.’ All I had to do was organize it.”
Twelve combines, 11 grain carts, 14 semis, a truck and dozens of farmer friends and others descended upon six Jordan farm fields. In just over six hours 54,000 bushels of corn had been hauled to town and another 10,000 stored in bins.
A few weeks earlier, beans were picked by some of the same volunteers and others.
“People are still willing to help,” said Ron. “Farmers come with their combines and whatever else is needed even if theirs is still standing. It’s just a way of helping to show they care. It’s a good story in these times, but it’s sad it took John’s story to remind us.”
CLFD presented with one-of-a-kind artwork
A one-of-a-kind painting of Clear Lake’s iconic 1924 Arends Fox Pumper Engine became the latest addition to the Clear Lake Fire Museum in 2022. An original watercolor created by acclaimed artist Fred Ochi was presented to Clear Lake Fire Department leaders by Jon Jensen, son of the late Joe Jensen, a longtime member of the CLFD.
Jon contacted the department through its Facebook page and offered the painting. He was going through some of his things and didn’t know what to do with it,” explained CLFD Assistant Chief Mike Keefe. “We didn’t hesitate to say yes.”
When Joe Jensen passed away in 1989 the Arends Fox was used to transport his casket to the cemetery. Upon its return, the vehicle was parked in front of the Clear Lake Fire Museum and Jon snapped a photo of the snow covered Fox. He was living in Idaho Falls, Idaho at the time and decided to reach out to Ochi, who was also a resident of the state. Ochi was commissioned to turn the photo, minus the fire museum in the background, into a watercolor.
The 1924 Ahrens-Fox Pumper Engine was considered the “Rolls-Royce” of fire engines and was a major firefighter used in the community from 1925 until the 1975 Central School fire.
“This is quite a piece to add to our collection at the museum,” said Keefe. “It’s Clear Lake history honoring firefighters from Joe Jensen to present day. We’re pretty proud of it. It’s one-of-a-kind, the only one.”
The Art of Water
You’ve heard of singing in the rain, but what about an art gallery in the rain? The Clear Lake Arts Center launched a new program to create “invisible art” throughout the town.
Persons of all ages and artistic abilities were invited to leave their mark on the community by creating a drawing, or saying, which was traced onto a stencil and then applied to concrete surfaces primarily in the downtown area using a clear, hydrophobic spray. The artwork is only visible when wet.
Arts Center Executive Director Jessi Myers said she was researching activities for her summer camps when she stumbled across a chemically safe product which produces the water-thirsty art.
“We all need things to do on rainy days, so I thought it would be fun to seek out some art,” said Myers. “I’m really excited about making this a community project.”
Mystery coupon inspires senior odyssey
Who would have thought that finding a random coupon in your wallet could lead to an 827-mile odyssey to cash it? For four young men from Zelienople, Penn., a town near Pittsburgh, that’s where their story began. It brought them all the way to Clear Lake in June.
Colton Marley unexpectedly found a coupon for a McDonald’s McCafe drink in his wallet that could only be redeemed in a few random places far from home, Clear Lake being the closest. His friend, Trey Hixon, joked that they could cash it in by taking a road trip to celebrate his, Jonah Smeltzer’s and Eli Peel’s graduation. Of course, Colton would have to go along even though he was still a high school junior— it was his coupon, after all.
“It was a random pick, really,” explained Colton. “And it turned out to be a good one. Clear Lake is an amazing place.”
The four of them shared their sentiments, commenting on the brilliant sunset they saw from the city beach and mentioning the cute houses and diverse shops. While here, they also visited the Surf Ballroom and saw a big band. “We’re actually a barbershop quartet, so the music and history at the Surf was great to experience. We saw the plaque for the Music Man over in Mason City. We actually all met for the first time in eighth grade when we were in that musical, so seeing that was another highlight.”
And that all important coupon? They were able to redeem it at the Clear Lake McDonald’s. The restaurant graciously fed the foursome in
recognition of their journey, with both local and corporate employees in attendance.
