Rhymes With Decorah

Rhymes With Lansing #1 - Maryann Baldwin

Maryann Baldwin, Lansing Entrepreneur Photo by: Brittany Todd
Welcome to "Rhymes With Lansing" - a mini-series of podcast shows featuring just a few of the amazing folks that call Lansing, Iowa home. Recorded in the Spring of 2024, these shows represent a snapshot in time of life in one of Iowa's great, rural, Mississippi River towns. Find the intro show to this series here.
Maryann Baldwinn's story is one of building community and seeing opportunities when they've presented themselves. From an early background in broadcasting, a career in media and marketing took her across the country - until she and her husband found the Lansing area in 2013.
Her work in mentoring local entrepreneurs, supporting city and community agencies, volunteering on boards like Main Street Lansing, and running the coworking space, Lansing Office Works (or "The Works" as it's known) shows just a few of the gifts that she shares with her community.  
Maryann and Benji recording at Lansing Office Works, April 2024
In a Community Builder feature from the "Summer 2022" issue of Inspire(d) Magazine, Maryann says “The way I see it, I’ve just created a garden. I provide the sunlight and fertilizer and water, and then I stand back and let it happen. Everything is connected, and it’s so fun to watch things grow.”
Grow, indeed - as Maryann continues to help along the next generation of entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders in Lansing and the greater area. Find out more or get details on how you can use the Lansing Office Works coworking space on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis (or rent their commercial kitchen!). A huge thanks goes out to Maryann for hosting us at Lansing Office Works to record this series of shows. 
Rhymes With Lansing is being made possible by the generous support of the Allamakee Clayton Electric Cooperative and Dairyland Power, with additional support from Allamakee County Economic Development and Tourism. A special thank you to Lansing Office Works for hosting the recording of these shows - find Lansing Works on Main Street for co-working, meeting, and commercial kitchen space -www.lansingofficeworks.comTo find out more about Lansing Iowa - where Main Street meets the Mississippi visit www.lansingiowa.com
"Rhymes With..." is a companion podcast project of Inspire(d) Media - find us online at www.iloveinspired.com
Original music for the "Rhymes With Lansing" series by Benji Nichols. 
 
 

Rhymes With Lansing - Intro Show

Lansing, Iowa - Courtesy, Driftless Visitors Center
Welcome to a special mini-series of shows we're calling "Rhymes With Lansing" - bringing you stories from "where Main Street meets the Mississippi" in Iowa's very NE Corner. Located in Allamakee County, Lansing is a town of almost 1,000 people ideally tucked into a wooded valley along the Mississippi River. 
Photo Courtesy of Main Street Lansing
On this show, we introduce the series, take a walk around town to meet a few local business owners, and hear a little bit about what makes this small town such a unique place. 
Horsfall's Variety - Lansing, Iowa - Photo Benji Nichols
Special guests heard on this introduction episode include:
Paul Horsfall Jr - Horsfall's VarietyDave Jansen - Lansing HardwareWendi Wilson-Eiden - Coffee on the RiverStan Fullerton - Lansing TransplantJeni Grouws - Musician, Avey/Grouws Band
Thee OP, Lansing Iowa - Photo, Benji Nichols
Join us as we roll out five new "Rhymes With Lansing" shows in the coming weeks - and better yet, start planning your trip at www.lansingiowa.com
Coffee On The River - Lansing, Iowa
Find the next episodes of "Rhymes With Lansing" mini-series: 
- Lansing Entrepreneur Maryann Baldwin
- Erin Cubbon, Allamakee County Conservation Naturalist and Driftless Visitors Center
- Main Street Lansing Executive Director Andrew Boddicker
- Melissa & Nick Hammell, Safe House Saloon/ Simply Salon Owners 
- Rick Welsh, Welsh's Village Farm & Home Owner
 
Rhymes With Lansing is being made possible by the generous support of the Allamakee Clayton Electric Cooperative and Dairyland Power, with additional support from Allamakee County Economic Development and Tourism. A special thank you to Lansing Office Works for hosting the recording of these shows - find Lansing Works on Main Street for co-working, meeting, and commercial kitchen space -www.lansingofficeworks.comTo find out more about Lansing Iowa - where Main Street meets the Mississippi visit www.lansingiowa.com
"Rhymes With..." is a companion podcast project of Inspire(d) Media - find us online at www.iloveinspired.com
Original music for the "Rhymes With Lansing" series by Benji Nichols. 

Rhymes With - Allamakee County

Valerie Reinke,  Executive Director of Allamakee County Iowa Economic Development & Tourism joins us for this episode of "Rhymes With... Allamakee"
Iowa's most Northeastern County is a treasure trove of outdoor beauty, recreation opportunities, and some very dynamic communities. With just over 14,000 people, Allamakee County consists of six small towns: Waukon, Lansing, Postville, Harpers Ferry, New Albin, and Waterville.
Allamakee County is also home to Iowa's only National Monument, Effigee Mounds, as well as the 8,900 acre Yellow River State Forest (and Iowa's only firetower!). 
Keep an eye out for our next mini-series of shows - “Rhymes With Lansing” – a 5 show series from Lansing, IA – airing through April into Spring featuring stories and organizations from Lansing, Iowa.
Get all the details and more about Allamakee County:
https://www.allamakeecounty.com/
 
"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.
Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming
 

Rhymes With Decorah - Chad Elliott DCSD Culinary Specialist

 
Join us on this episode of "Rhymes With Decorah" as we take an awesome opportunity to talk with Decorah Community School District Nutrition Director and Culinary Specialist Chad Elliott. 
 
With deep roots in the Decorah area, Chad brings a background in the commercial food service industry to what may be any communities most important food source - school meals! It takes a village to provide the necessary meals to the DCSD, including 6 different facilities in different locations that require multiple offerings on any given school day. And for that, Chad is quick to point out his incredible staff that pull this task off on a daily basis.
Local Foods have also been a huge part of Chad's influence and vision on making sure that our youngest consumers in the community have opportunities to experience farm to school table foods in their daily meals. Partnerships within the district have even led to incredible programs like Tim Haye's school garden program that provides thousands of pounds of fresh, grown on school grounds produce each year.
 
You can keep up with all that the DCSD Nutrition Program is doing via their "Viking Galley" Facebook Page found here. 
A huge thanks to Chad and his crew for all of their work and vision to provide our most important resource with fresh, healthy, delicious daily meals while they are at school!
 
"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.
Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming
 
 

Rhymes With - Spring Inspire(d) 2024!

 
Cover image by Anne Butera / MyGiantStrawberry.com
Join the WHOLE fam on this show for a rundown on the Spring 2024 Issue of Inspire(d) Magazine! Here's Aryn's editors letter for this issue as well. Don't miss a tiny bit of this beautiful issue (inside and out!). Thanks for listening, reading, and supporting our mission of sharing positive news!
Find the new "Spring 2024" Inspire(d) Playlist here!
PATIENCE: WE ALL BLOOM IN OUR OWN TIME.
I totally hated the phrase “late bloomer” when I was a kid. I had two cousins – both a little older and infinitely cooler – who said I was “just a late bloomer.” They didn’t say it with malice, but boy, did it sting.
Now, decades later, I want to tell that pre-teen: It doesn’t matter. As long as you’re working on you, you’ll get where you want to be – or where you’re supposed to be – eventually. Keep at it.
Of course, there are many things we’d tell our past selves if we could. The theme for this issue is a gentle reminder: We all bloom in our own time. All we need is just a little patience (thanks, Guns N’ Roses). I dive into this topic in my infographic, “Patience in Bloom,” which leads into our spring mental health article by Olivia Lynn Schnur. Olivia gives us tips for avoiding the comparison trap, so we can continue our paths at whatever pace necessary. Hint: We need to get clear on vision and values.
It was vision and values that led Anne Butera to art. The Viroqua-based artist taught herself how to paint with watercolors at age 34, and today she is a prolific artist, online art teacher, and the creative behind the website and blog, My Giant Strawberry. Anne’s gorgeous artwork is featured on this issue’s cover. Read her story on page 16.
Anne’s blog also inspired us to create the spring paper project: a Giant Strawberry Box! You can use it as a May Day basket, a favor box, or just because it’s cute!
We promise your name doesn’t have to be Anne, Annie, or Anni to be in Inspire(d) Magazine, but we happen to have all those names in this issue! 
Annie Coleman was inspired by the summers she spent growing up at her grandparents’ Golden Horse Ranch resort north of Madison, Wisconsin. Decades later, she (along with some great help from her friends) opened Red Clover Ranch in rural Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, where folks can attend creative, enriching retreats, fun events, local dinners, and more (pg 48).
And last but most certainly not least in the “Anni list,” Anni Weilgart, former long-time Decorah resident and teacher, is featured as our Probituary (pg 66). Anni turned 100 in 2023, and as interviewer Lindy Weilgart says, “she has fewer ailments and healthier blood values than all of us.” I love the wisdom in these Q&As (see all of them here).
There’s a lot to be learned from our Driftless Community Builders as well. Ernie Johnson brings people together through vintage collectibles and cars – and with interesting conversation – at Ernie’s Garage in Whalan, Minnesota. In Decorah, Molly Holkesvik has taught, coached, and led students (and some adults) in various forms of self- and world-discovery for two decades through classes, theatre, and travel. 
You don’t have to travel too far to embrace the season with our spring ideas for fun, from peony picking to maple syrup sampling (pg 44). And speaking of maple syrup, you can learn about Iowa’s longest running business in this issue’s Sum of Your Business. We feature a Q&A with Jeni (Green) Melcher, the sixth generation of Greens to tap maple trees on their farm in rural Northeast Iowa (pg 56). (Fun fact: I grew up just up the road from Greens’ Sugarbush!)
We’re lucky to have so many cool things to do here in the Driftless. As you get out there exploring, watch for the various insects and arachnids move around again. You can learn more about the latter in conservation writer Craig Thompson’s piece on spiders (pg 62). They really are amazing (but still…shudder)!
You really are amazing too, readers! Thanks for joining us for another year of positive news! You’re the best. Read the entire Spring 2024 Inspire(d) online here, or see the story list below!
Looking forward,
Aryn 
 
 
 
"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.
Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming
 
 

Rhymes With - EMS - Steve Vanden Brink

Photo Courtesy of WinnMed
Emergency Management Services are often not thought of until there is a time of need. Police, Fire, Ambulance, First Responders – all provide essential community services, and face unique challenges in much of our rural regions. Steve Vanden Brink has been serving Decorah and NE Iowa for over 30 years as an EMT and Director of Ambulance Services at WinnMed in Decorah, as well as the Decorah Fire Department’s Public Education Officer.
While Steve’s story started as a young person, people of all walks find themselves called to serve in the EMS community. EMTs (Emergency Management Technicians) particularly serve a critical link in emergency health and response situations – and are also facing a shortage across the country, including the rural Midwest. Opportunities exist for everything from volunteer first responders to professional career EMTs and flight medics. In NE Iowa, NICC (NE Iowa Community College) has also partnered to help offer training and career paths in EMT services.
Image Courtesy of DFD
We offer up a huge thanks to those in the EMS world and especially to Steve for taking time to talk to us about his experiences and the opportunities available in the EMS world. If you’d like to find out more, reach out to Steve at WinnMed – 563-382-2911
"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.
Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming
 

Rhymes With - Oneota Valley Community Orchestra

The Oneota Valley Community Orhestra has been bringing incredible performances to NE Iowa for 10 years! Join founder and musical director Matt Cody, along with musician and board member Benjamin Kratchmer as we talk all things OVCO.
The organization, started in 2014, was brougth to life to present live classical music to the residents of the Oneota Valley, promote music education, and provide the opportunity for amateur and professional musicians to continue the lifelong study and performance of classical music. A decade in, the organization has covered a lot of ground, a lot of music, and is playing bright into the future. 
Musicians interested in learning more about performing with the OVCO can submit their information online here. 
The Orchestra is also always looking for engaged board members (musicians or not!), as well as those helping advance the organization in other volunteer rolls. Interested? Check out the details.
Each season of performances are unique, and often include special guests as part of the repertoire. Check out this season's schedule and more. Several performances are even available on the OVCO's YouTube Channel - which you can watch here.
You can also support the symphony by making a tax-deductible donation today. Your support helps continue bringing classical masterpieces to residents of Decorah and surrounding communities as well as provide opportunities for amateur and professional musicians to continue a lifelong study of classical music.
Lute by OVCO musician and craftsman Benjmain Kratchmer
 
"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.
Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming
 
 

Rhymes With - Liuda Skorlupina and Maryna Nading

Liudmyla Skorlupina is a Ukrainian English teacher, currently living with her son Zhenia in the US. They are from Bucha, Ukraine, and were able to participate in the “Uniting for Ukraine” Federal humanitarian program, which allows them to spend up to two years in the US with a host sponsor family.
Liuda and Luther College Professor of Anthropology Maryna Nading have known each other since their upper schooling days in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. (Maryna is a past guest of the show – hear that episode here.) Through Nading’s work with the Luther College Paideia program, Liudmyla is visiting Decorah to present the Paideia lecture “Public Anthropology and the Common Good: Costly Lessons of Bearing Witness to War” on February 13, 2024 (An online link to the presentation may be found here).
Liuda Skorlupina
Liuda is a Ukrainian native, and has lived with her family in Bucha (Ukraine) for over a decade – a suburb of about 60,000 just 20 miles the Capital city Kiev.
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine ramped up in February of 2022, Bucha became a cross roads of invading Russian troops, with intense fighting now known as the “Bucha Massacre”. These brutal attacks on the people of Bucha led to hundreds of civilian and prisoner of war deaths, with documented torture, rape, and mass graves left in the wake of the Russian forces. When Bucha was retaken by Ukrainian forces in late March 2022, the full extent of the atrocities came to light, with US President Biden calling for Russian President Vladimir Putin to face war crimes charges. An outrage across the world was sparked, marking even more severe sanctions against Russia by the US & Allies.
While many recovery efforts have been made in Bucha since the Spring of 2022 (as much of the fighting has moved into Eastern Ukraine), the City, along with Liuda’s family, are still facing many daily challenges. We thank Liuda and Maryna for helping share these stories with our listeners and our region – and hope that Liuda and Zhenia’s first trip to the upper Midwest was a positive one.
Maryna Nading
You can hear the previous episode of “Rhymes With Decorah” featuring Maryna Nading here. If you would like to connect with Maryna or help by donating funds to on-the-ground, grass roots organizations, please feel free to contact her at: bazyma01@luther.edu
The US Department of State also has an excellent Fact Sheet / web resource for informational sources about the conflict in Ukraine, as well as ways to support relief efforts for the Ukrainian people. Click here for international NGOs and Non Profit Organizations, as well as free resources and information on hosting, visas, mental health / trauma, and more.
 
"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.
Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming