Along Our Way
What a way to end a summer! We Offenburgers were the guests on a late-summer weekend at the lake house of our friends Joe and Cindy Connolly. The Connollys live in Council Bluffs and commute many weekends to their get-away place on a private lake just south of Columbus, Nebraska. It was a real “kick-back” weekend with lots of sunshine, fun boating, good food and plenty of time to read.
[TO SEE THESE PHOTOS & OTHERS IN LARGER FORMAT, AND TO READ A BRIEF STORY, CLICK HERE.]
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A conversation
LIVING WITH CANCER
with the Offenburgers
Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins follicular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, had six months of chemotherapy & is now doing well in a “maintenance” program. Carla Offenburger underwent surgery on April 26, 2010, for removal of a jaw tumor which was found to contain adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer. She underwent six weeks of follow-up radiation in June and July, and continues under close medical observation. We post updates frequently here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.
“Carla, if you were standing here I’d hug you. This is such a ton of stress and scheduling for anyone but then add that you are recouping yourself and it is nearly overwhelming. Yet here you are forging ahead.”
FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.
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What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?
Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.
Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm
Carla’s sister & brother-in-law Chris and Tony Woods, of Des Moines, were at the farm on Sunday, August 22, helping Carla do the lawn mowing and other yard work that we’ve struggled to keep up with lately, with all our medical appointments. The Woodses brought along their 18-month-old granddaughter Ari, who was a delight watching all the action from the porch with Chuck, catching up on her reading and then getting a moment on the lawn tractor seat!
Click here for larger format
Earlier photos in this series
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Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews
FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!
''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.
TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.
TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.
TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.
TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.
TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.
TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.
WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!
FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!
FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!
SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!
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Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey
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Our Iowa News Digest
Along Our Way
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Out in Greene County, Iowa
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 It just wouldn’t seem like summer if “Celebration Iowa” didn’t come to town
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER
July 9, 2008
JEFFERSON, IOWAThe “Celebration Iowa Singers & Jazz Band” brought their two-hour show to Jefferson on Tuesday, July 8, and it turned into an idyllic summer evening on the Greene County Courthouse square. More than 700 people watched the show from under the shade trees on the north lawn of the courthouse.
The obvious crowd favorites in the cast were Katie Rasmussen and James Healy, who graduated from Jefferson-Scranton High School this spring after starring in our local concerts and productions on their way through school.
But with “Celebration Iowa,” it’s like there are 20 Katies and Jameses on stage with the singers and dancers, and the 17 members of the jazz band are just as good.
The group, in its 26th summer season, auditions Iowa’s best high school musicians, and then the best of the best travel Iowa with an original show each year.
They rehearse for three weeks in June on the Luther College campus in Decorah in northeast Iowa, including being directed by several of the state’s best high school music instructors, some music and dance professionals, and some of the program’s alumni who have show business experience. Their tours of the state start in late June and run into early August.
Communities raise $3,500 to bring the group in for shows, and also provide host homes and usually a meal or two for the casts and staff. You could tell from the crowd reaction here Tuesday night, the show is a bargain. In our era of too much TV and too much time online, there is nothing as refreshing as live entertainment from young people who are thrilled to have you in their audience.
This year’s show opens with a review of Broadway show tunes; has its own original musical called “How Does Your Garden Grow?” that features young local children performing as various vegetables and flowers right alongside the cast, and then winds up with a romp through the works of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and other groups that were part of the “British Invasion.”
Of special note, this 26th season is the first with a new management team. The “Celebration Iowa” co-founder Dennis Darling, a professor of music education at Luther, this year has turned direction of the program over to Clark Goltz, a veteran Iowa educator.
You can find upcoming shows by checking the “COMING UP IN IOWA” feature on our home page.
The photos below are from the show in Jefferson.
You can write the columnist at chuck@Offenburger.com.
Michael Phillips; Katie Rasmussen, of Jefferson-Scranton; Ethan Adams, of South Winneshiek; Leta Oelrich, of West Delaware; Ryan Bower, of Johnston, and Ethan Bjelland, of Decorah.
Andrea Oldfield; Ethan Adams; Leta Oelrich, and at the right Nolan Baker, of Waverly-Shell Rock.
Emma Walker, of Exira High; Ethan Bjelland; Amilie Appleton, of Sheldon High; James Healy, of Jefferson-Scranton; KatieRasmussen, and Michael Phillips.
Dancing ''flowers'' Amilie Appleton; Katie Rasmussen, and Andrea Oldfield.
Scarecrows Clayton Velasquez, of Hampton-Dumont High, and Josh Dale dancing with Katie Rasmussen.
Michael Phillips (left) and James Healy portrayed weeds in the ''garden'' musical.
When James Healy of Jefferson-Scranton High came out on stage as a ''weed'' in the garden musical, he saw a welcome home sign quoting one of the lines in his song, ''Weeds rule!'' After the show, Linda and Jim Oelrich, of Strawberry Point, parents of another cast member, presented Healy with the sign.
Young Jefferson-Scranton students played different kinds of flowers and insects in the ''garden'' musical. Left to right here are Marissa Promes, Kelsey Baller, Hannah Promes, Kasey Baller, Hannah Stein, Reagan Clark and, from the ''Celebration Iowa'' cast Emma Walker playing a cabbage.
Other young Jefferson-Scranton children who played in the show were, left to right, Natasha Groves, Avery Bardole, Nathan Kennedy and Conner Groves. Behind them are ''Celebration Iowa'' cast members Teresa Procter, of Decorah High, and Katie Rasmussen.
The ''Celebration Iowa'' jazz band played from a separate stage adjacent to the main stage. At the left is piano player Emily Junge, of Solon High School, and director Kevin Brown, who is director of bands at Malcolm Price Lab School at the University of Northern Iowa.
In the saxophone section of the jazz band are (left to right) Justin Hike, of Southeast Polk High; Ben Harting, of Jesup High, and Stephanie Koltookian, of Cedar Falls High School.
Singing Beatles songs in the ''British Invasion'' set of numbers were Nolan Baker, James Healy and Ethan Bjelland.
James Healy, Ryan Bower and Josh Dale with more British hits.
Andrea Oldfield and Josh Atcher, of Marshalltown High.
Ryan Bower and Holly Fusco, of Indianola High.
''Celebration Iowa'' always closes its shows with the ''Iowa Stubborn'' number from Iowa native Meredith Willson''s Broadway hit ''Music Man,'' and during the song, each cast member sounds off with the name of his or her hometown. Left to right hare are Ryan Bower, Leta Oelrich, James Healy yelling ''Jefferson!'' and Andrea Oldfield.
Shown during the finale, C.J. Jones, of Lone Tree High; Katie Rasmussen, and Michael Phillips.
Amanda Claflin, of Dallas Center-Grimes High; C.J. Jones; Katie Rasmussen, and Michael Phillips.
After the show, Katie Rasmussen (right) was welcomed home by her Jefferson-Scranton High School classmate Ashley Lentz.
Here is part of the crowd of more than 700 people who watched the ''Celebration Iowa'' concert from under the shade trees on the Greene County Courthouse lawn. The Jefferson-Scranton High School Music Parents served a barbecue dinner before the show, and Christ Lutheran Church operated a concession stand.
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