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The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday,
November 14, 2006 | |
Sending soldiers a ‘Taste of Home’
by Latisha Sand |
For the tenth time since 2002, volunteers will gather at the home of Curt and Shirley Chesmore, 605 Line Street in Manchester, to pack close to 150 ‘Taste of Home’ boxes for area soldiers serving overseas. The shipment, which will be at the Manchester Post Office on Friday, Nov. 17, will reach the soldiers in time for Christmas.
Three times a year around 200 volunteers pack blankets, food, toiletries, books, candy and other miscellaneous items into two boxes for about 60 soldiers. |
LATISHA SAND/Press
This truck box, located outside the home of Curt and Shirley Chesmore, 605 Line Street in Manchester, is where residents can donate items for soliders’ ‘Taste of Home’ packages. The next shipment will be at the post office on Friday, Nov. 17. |
“It’s about a community working together,” said Chesmore, who had sent her grandson Rick Tibbott packages when he was serving in Afghanistan and again in Iraq. “This doesn’t mean that we believe in the war, it just means we believe in our soldiers.”
Chesmore, who used to run a massage therapy business in her home, would have the boxes set up in her dining room and her clients would donate money for the shipments. After a while, the group started to include other soldiers serving and soon the donations and volunteers came rolling in.
“We couldn’t do this if it wasn’t for all the volunteers,” said Chesmore. “I can’t stress that enough.”
Easter and Christmas are the two holidays that the soldiers receive the packages but they also send them in August.
“We want them to know that we don’t just think of them at the holiday’s,” said Chesmore. “We think of them all the time.”
And it doesn’t always have to be area soldiers.
“It doesn’t matter where they are from,” said Chesmore. “The soldiers from here are not just protecting Manchester. They are protecting everyone.”
Chesmore and a lot of the volunteers have received letters expressing their gratitude. Sometimes the soldiers will write home with stories and other times they’ll write home telling their families not to send them boxes but to send someone else one.
“One wrote home and said instead of sending him one, send this other person one,” she said. “So, we added the other soldier to the list and they both got boxes.”
Another soldier wrote and said that they took their boxes up to the Marines who were guarding the line instead of keeping them all themselves. One soldier said the packages came just in time.
“They had just gotten back from a mission and they were out of shampoo, soap and food and their boxes were sitting there waiting for them,” said Chesmore. “Everyone [the volunteers] feels so good about helping.”
And they know the soldiers appreciate what they do. Every volunteer who packs put their own return address on the box. The soldiers then send thank you letters directly to the person who packed their goodie boxes. Chesmore even keeps copies of the letters in a binder.
“A lot of the soldiers were somewhat jealous of the great things I received,” wrote one soldier.
“They wanted to know why people from their states didn’t send them anything. It must be an Iowa thing.”
But once in a while, the volunteers will have a packaged returned.
“We’ll get a box back and they [the person who packed the box] are so devastated,” said Chesmore. The group usually gets the packages back because a soldier was sent home. “But it’s good to know that they are home.”
It’s tradition to send the soldiers personalized stockings during the Christmas shipment and this year is no different. Chesmore, Betty Wacker, Jessie Tibbott and Diane Heitter made them and the stockings not sit in a box waiting for Nov. 17 when they will be shipped.
Beef Jerky, chips and other snacks, calendars, blankets, white boot socks, a Jingle Buddy ornament, books, small flags, Christmas cards, food and a various other items will be packed into the boxes.
Bob Nelson, 83, from Delhi carved wooden cross necklaces and pins and a company in Edgewood donated shower bags. The bags, before being shipped, will be decorated by an art class at Ed-Co.
They will also have rosaries from Blessed Trinity.
The ‘Taste of Home’ group is still looking for donations, such as gum, hard candy, disposable cameras, batteries, cookies, letters and other items.
Donations can be dropped off at KMCH, a truck box in front of Chesmore’s house or money donations can be sent to Citizen’s State Bank in Manchester.
So far the group will have 145 packages for 62 soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Hawaii, Korea, Italy, Japan, Turkey and Germany.
“It takes a lot of stuff when you send out 128 boxes,” said Chesmore. The shipment in August almost weighed a ton. “And at Christmas time, everything gets wrapped. It wouldn’t be Christmas without getting presents.”
Different groups, like daycares, classrooms and clubs, ask the group if they can send letters to the different soldiers. Chesmore gives the group a name or names and a number. The number is to tell the volunteers where the letter goes.
“We’ll continue to do this as long as the soldiers are over there and we have the support here,” said Chesmore.
When they first started sending boxes, they contained necessities like toilet paper, mousetraps, flea collars and baby wipes. Now, according to Chesmore, the group can send homey items.
“We can send tastes from home,” said Chesmore with a laugh. “It’s an Iowa thing.” |
Johnson’s dream comes true ...
by Latisha Sand |
Zach Johnson in mid-air on his track, located outside of Manchester.Photo courtesy of Thede Photography
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Zach Johnson has always dreamed of being a professional rider in arenacross and now his dream has come true.
On Friday, Nov. 3 Zach, who lives in Manchester, participated in his first national arenacross in Des Moines.
“It’s a lot tighter,” said Zach about the difference between arenacross and
motocross tracks. “The jumps are bigger and it’s pretty much non stop crazy.”
Arenacross, motocross and supercross are all motor sports that contain riders on motorcycles or ATV’s. They race on a track that contains jumps and turns of different sizes.
“It’s really no different than any other motor sport,” said Randy Johnson (no relation), one of Zach’s major sponsors. “It’s a lot of time and a lot of money.”
Zach, 21, said he’s raced all over the area including Illinois and Minnesota.
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Zach Johnson goes over the whoops on his track, which is located outside of Manchester on his parent’s Rodney and Colleen’s farm. Zach raced his first Professional arenacross on Nov. 3 - Nov. 5 in Des Moines.
Photo Courtesy of Thede Photography. |
Six years ago, Zach’s parents, Rodney and Colleen, got Zach his first Yamaha motorcycle and he’s been in love with the sport ever since.
“Everyone I’ve been riding with has been riding since they were four or five [years of age],” said Zach, a 2004 West Delaware High School graduate. “I can beat them or come pretty close to it.”
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But pro riding, Zach found out, is a lot more aggressive than Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids and other courses in the area.
“This year I just want to make as many mains [events] that I can and to do the best I can,” he said.
“In the future I hope I can make supercross nationals. That’s where I want to go.”
And Randy thinks Zach can make it.
“Zach is unique,” he said. “I think he’ll go far.”
Zach said that it doesn’t take him that much time to get used to the different tracks at the different events. He said ruts in the track and the dirt are different at each event but the track layout pretty much stays the same.
“I’m good at adapting to things quickly,” he said.
And he’s trying to adapt to the fame of being a pro rider. During his first arenacross event, Zach signed numerous autographs.
“It was pretty cool,” he said with a smile. “I’m not much of a people person, so I have to get better at that.”
He said people have come up to him, even at Hardee’s in Manchester, where he is the assistant manager.
“Everyone recognizes me and asks if I still race,” he said. “I have no idea who they are.”
And whether he believes it or not, Randy said Zach is a professional rider.
“He did well [at the arenacross],” Randy said. “He is now a professional, whether he knows it or not.”
Zach thinks he did pretty well during his first arenacross event. On the first night of the event he tried to qualify for the Lites Pro class but wrecked, bending the handlebars on his new Yamaha and hurting his wrist. But on the second day, he qualified for the night show by getting first place in his heat.
“I was super pumped,” he wrote in his blog on myspace.com. But during the race, he wrecked again.
“My night was over, but I made it so far with little practice and experience,” he said in his blog. “I really wasn’t too mad.”
But Randy and other sponsors were pleased with how well he did during his first time in the spot light as a professional rider.
“There were 28 riders who made the night show and he was one of them,” said Randy.
And he was one person from making the main event.
“He can go and race at Cedar Rapids or Montazuma or any other District 22 races and win or he can go in and place fifth,” said Randy. “But he went into the arenacross and placed fourth. He placed the same place he did in motocross. That shows me that he reached down somewhere [to place that well].”
Zach can’t wait until the next arenacross nationals Grand Rapids, Mich. on Jan. 5-7.
But until then he will be practicing on his home track outside of Manchester and at two other events, one in Indiana and one in Minnesota.
“I’m not so much scared,” said Zach about racing, “but nervous. I want to do well and I expect to do well.”
And his various broken bones, bruises and scratches don’t stop him.
“I sometimes take it to cautiously,” he said. “I kind of play it safe but that’s what I’m working on at home.”
The home track and racing with other riders is different, Zach said, because at home he can worry about himself and his position on his bike. On a track with other racers, he worries about the other people out there.
“I’m not supposed to, but I do,” he said with a shy smile.
He said he wanted to thank everyone, including his parents, for all their support and he wants other people to “keep an eye out” for him.
“It’s just always been a dream of mine for quite a while,” he said while shrugging his shoulders. “I just want to see where it gets me.”
For more information on Zach, his standings, or his schedule visit his websites at www.zachjohnson454.com or www.myspace.com/zach454.
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Giuliani in town with Nussle
by Latisha Sand |
LATISHA SAND / Press
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle raise their hands in front of a close to 300 people crowd on Monday, Nov. 6. Giuliani spoke about how leadership is important because of the possibility of terrorist attacks. Nussle’s son, Mark, looks on from the stage. |
Former New York City Mayor and possible Republican candidate for President in the 2008 election, Rudolph Giuliani stopped in Manchester to help campaign for the then gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle.
On Monday, Nov. 6 the West Delaware Middle School Cafeteria was packed with close to 300 Delaware County residents chanting “Nussle, Nussle, Nussle,” and eagerly listening to Giuliani.
“One of the things that Sept. 11 reminded me of, out of all the experiences I had that day, is how important elections are and how important it is to fight and work really, really hard for leadership because you never know what you are going to face,” said Giuliani. “When we went through the 2000 election nobody had any idea that the election was all about choosing who was going to lead us when America was attacked by terrorists.”
He went on to say that the American people now understand how important it is to get the person they want in office elected.
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“Getting elected to public office now into an executive position carries extra responsibility since Sept. 11,” said Giuliani. “It carries the possibility of terrorists attacks and you just don’t know where terrorists will attack again. We don’t know if they will attack again or whether we have to assume that they are.”
He told the residents that he remembered being interviewed on national television during the 2004 elections. He said he was on TV about 7 p.m. that night and the news anchor was talking to him and Democrat Ted Kennedy.
“According to the media, the election was over,” said Giuliani. “After the exit polls were in, they [thought] they had figured out who was going to be President. There was almost no need to count the votes.”
He said that they were announcing that Kerry had won the election by 68 percent.
“Public opinion polls and exit polls don’t decide who our President is going to be, who are Governor is going to be, who are members of congress are going to be,” said Giuliani. “Do you know who decides? It’s the American people.”
Nussle commended Giuliani for his actions after Sept. 11.
“One of the biggest tragedies had just occurred and yet he chose to celebrate the sacrifices that the police officers, firefighters who on that day saved those people,” said Nussle. “That’s what he focused on. It’s not always about law, it’s the fact that people did their jobs, they showed courage, the showed leadership and they got the job done. Leadership is not always focusing on the negative it’s also finding the positive, finding the way to a possible solution.”
Nussle thanked all his supporters for supporting him through “thick and thin” and for the “kick in the pants when I needed it.”
The then candidate for Lieutenant Governor Bob Vander Plaats was also at the event.
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| Democrats take state, area incumbents stay |
It’s official – Democrat Chet Culver will be the next Governor of Iowa.
Culver beat out Manchester native Jim Nussle 54 percent to 45 percent. County wide, however, Nussle had beat out Culver by only 56 votes.
“Congressman Jim Nussle ran a hard fought campaign,” said Culver after hearing he had won the Governor’s seat last Tuesday night. “He has served the state well. Thank you for all your service and I wish you the best in the future.”
Culver went on to say that the future of Iowa belongs to all of the state’s residents.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent,” said Culver. “It doesn’t matter whether you live in the rural part of the state or in a city. It doesn’t matter if you live on the east or west side of the state, whether you are a senior citizen or the youngest resident – we are one Iowa.”
Nussle was unable to be reached for comment.
Democrat Bruce Braley also beat out Republican Mike Whalen for U.S. Representative District one.
State wide, Braley received 55 percent (112,432) of the votes whereas Whalen received 43 percent (88,120) of the votes. In Delaware County, however, Whalen received the most votes with 50 percent (3,540) and Braley received 45 percent (3,175).
County wide, however, the Republican incumbents rose up again for reelection. In the State Representative District 32 race between Republican Steve Lukan and Democrat Tom Avenarius, Lukan received and overwhelming 3,535 votes (50 percent) compared to Avenarius’ 1,521 votes (21 percent).
“I was very excited,” said Lukan. “It was a great night but tough for the Republicans both in the state and in the nation. It’s going to be a challenge for the party but I’m excited to be going back to the state office.”
Delaware County Board of Supervisor Shirley Helmrichs will be serving another term after she beat out Mike Sauser with 77 percent (1,674) of the votes verses Sauser’s 23 percent (503).
Other county officials reelected include: Carolyn A. Wilson for County Treasurer, Deborah L. Peyton for County Recorder, John W. Bernau for county attorney and Carla K. Becker for County Auditor.
Iowa Secretary of State winner Michael A. Mauro received 54 percent (536,305) of state votes with 46 percent (3,278) of Delaware County votes. His opponent, Mary Ann Hanusa received 46 percent (463,734) of the state votes and 48 percent (3,389) of the county votes.
Bill Northey received the most votes for Secretary of Agriculture with 51 percent of the statewide votes (519,335) and 55 percent of the county votes (3,870). Denise O’Brien, the Democrat candidate, received 49 percent (490,775) of the state votes and 41 percent (2,886) of the county votes.
There were only 7,095 Delaware County residents who voted in last week’s election. There are 12,330 registered voters. |
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