August, 2008 Newsletter

July 10th, 2008 Meeting---Gerta Preston Hartman’s Museum

After our meeting, Gerta gave us a personal tour of her museum. The museum is situated on Olde Massey Road at the site of the old country schoolhouse that Gerta attended as a child.
She’s collected countless artifacts from the Mines of Spain area over the years. These are displayed along with family heirlooms and other Dubuque items.
Gerta shared a wealth of information about our local history. (Did you know that the Preston farm was the second farm in Iowa? Neither did I!)
As a life-long city-slicker, I appreciated her demonstration of some old-time farm equipment, including a corn sheller.

Treasury Status

July beginning balance $8277.78. Once the two outstanding bills are paid ($1000 to the Ham House and a bill from Julien’s Journal), the balance will be $7158. Dale indicated we could award more grants. See the Grants committee update below

Committee Reports

ByLaws

No action taken. This is on hold until all officer and committee chair slots are filled.

House Tour/Donations

We are still looking for volunteers to help with the tour. Diane Schulz and Paula Connors will be calling some members to ask for more involvement.

Web Site

Paul Opperman will contact John about helping maintain the website before the end of July.

Grants

A $4000 grant was made to the Library Restoration Fund in June. They sent a letter acknowledging this donation and the prior grant to restore the doors. Our $1000 grant to the Ham House will be sent soon.

Dale indicated that we could make more grants and still have enough seed money for the tour next year. No action was taken at this time.

Although she was not there, Lynda Derks suggested to a couple members that we adopt a Cedar Rapids business to help with their restoration. There was some discussion expressing interest in helping the Paramount Theater which lost their historic pipe organ. Lynda will get more information on flood-recovery donations and present it at the August meeting.

Dale suggested writing a press release about our grants. Paula will do so and send it to the TH. (After we decide on the Cedar Rapids grant, I think.)

New Business

Officer Elections

Phyllis Lee, Diane Schulz, and Paula Connors will meet and put together a slate of officers. We will have a recommendation to vote on at the August meeting. (Update: we will have a slate of new officers to vote on at the August meeting.)

Future Meetings

The current plan is to have our next meeting at the Potosi Brewery and Museum. They’ll waive the meeting room fee if everyone orders dinner ($11-26). In addition the Museum charges a $5 entry fee. Laurie Cribb, Cindy Kraus, and Diane Schulz will be calling members to gauge interest.

If you have NOT been contacted and you want to attend, please call Diane at (563)556-5562 by noon on Thursday, July 31. We need to RSVP!

Another possible meeting site is the Indian Room at Eagle Point Park. We agreed that a fall meeting there complete with a fire in the fireplace would be lovely.

Other new business

Tom Welu asked whether anyone else had seen all of the flattened buildings around the 5-point area (near the Pizza Hut and the old Eagle grocery store). There’s a new Walgreen’s planned. They have not torn down the cool building right on the corner, rumor has it that it will be moved to a new location. Tom had a rumored new location, but he was reluctant to share it. You’ll just have to call him if you want his scoop!

Dick handed around a letter from Sister Margaret Willging OSF. She’d written some lovely reflections after the Old House Tour in 2004. John posted it on the website for everyone to read.