Geneseo FCA to Serve Ice Cream Treats Saturday in City Park

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

The Geneseo FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) will be serving ice cream and toppings, in addition to root beer floats beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Geneseo City Park. A free will donation is asked, and water will be available to purchase. All proceeds support FCA. The event is being held in conjunction with “Spook the Loop,” when Butch Patrick, also known as Eddie Munster from the classic Munsters TV show, returns to Geneseo for this year’s “Spook the Loop.”

National Night out Aug. 6 in Geneseo City Park

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Geneseo Police Chief Casey Disterhoft, left, and Timothy Steines, Detective with the Geneseo Police Department, are encouraging area residents to join them at the National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Geneseo City Park. Photo by Claudia Loucks

National Night Out in Geneseo is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live and work.

The 2024 National Night Out will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Geneseo City Park.

According to Jessica Damewood, Administrative Assistant at the Geneseo Police Department, Geneseo’s first National Night Out was organized by retired Police Officer Mike Gawrysiak in 1999.

“The Geneseo Police Department and the City of Geneseo are teaming up again this year for the fun family event,” Damewood said.

Some of the features visitors can expect at the Park on Aug. 6 are bounce houses, vendor books with activities for kids, dunk tank, face painting, balloon animals, law enforcement gear, area law enforcement and much more.

There will be free raffle tickets for prize drawings.

“We will also have food and desserts in the shelter and Sgt. Jamison Weisser and K-9 Kauzi will be doing a demonstration on the north side of the Park,” Damewood said.

There will be a display of vehicles from the Geneseo Fire Protection District and the Geneseo Police Department.

Prizes in raffle drawings will be drawn on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and winners will be notified by telephone.

Geneseo Garden Club to Meet July 15 in Orion

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

The Geneseo Garden Club July outing will be a trip to visit the gardens of Janelle Gibson in Orion. Members and guests are asked to be there at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 15. After the garden tour, the group will visit the Charged Coffee and Cocoa Shop at 303 10th Ave., Orion, for a beverage and snack.

Community Choir 2024 Concert Benefits Community Chest

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Pam Edwards, left, Community Choir Director; and Rich McClimon, at right, Community Choir Treasurer, presented a $750 check to Jackie Despain, Community Chest Treasurer. Edwards said one of the missions of the Community Choir is to give financial support to the Community Chest through the performance of an intergenerational ensemble. The Community Choir performance was June 26 in the Geneseo High School Concert Hall.

Film Photography Class at RutabagA Studio & Gallery

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Joseph Pustejovsky, a member of the RutabagA Art Studio & Gallery, will teach a class in Film Photography at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, at the Gallery, located at 108 North State St. in downtown Geneseo. The class is for those people wanting to get into film photography, covering items such as how to adjust setting, ASA, shutter speed, aperture, focus, tips and tricks, double exposures, how to use accessories such as flash, shutter cables, lens filters and more. Those planning to attend should take their own camera. Cost is $10 for each person and registration can be made by calling RutabagA at 309-944-4994. Photo by Claudia Loucks

Accessibility Swim Tuesday at John & Carla Edwards Aquatic Center

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

There will be a special Accessibility Swim from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the John & Carla Edwards Aquatic Center. The reserved time is for swimmers with disabilities or sensory issues. Special accessibility swimmers are welcome to bring their immediate family members to join them.
The swim is free for Geneseo Park District and Aquatic Center members. There will be a $5 per person or $20 per family charge for non-members.

Blood Drive July 2 at Geneseo First Methodist

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive on Tuesday, July 2, at the South Annex (back entrance of the Geneseo First Methodist Church (south campus) of the church. The drive will begin at 12 noon and continue until 6 p.m. Donuts donated by Geneseo Donut Shop will be available.

With the extreme heat the area has been experiencing, the Red Cross suggests that those people planning to donate should drink an extra 16 ounces of water or non-alcoholic drink prior to their donation.

It is also recommended that donors increase Vitamin C in their diet by eating fruits and leafy green vegetables, such as strawberries, tomatoes, spinach and Brussels sprouts.

Donors are asked to make reservations by calling 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED Cross). Walk-ins will be accepted in as timely a manner as possible with appointments taking priority. Those planning to give blood will be asked to present their Red Cross ID card (or a valid driver’s license) and will be asked to read the list of medications that might exclude their donation from being used or do a “Rapid Pass” before their donation.

For ease in donating, the Red Cross Donor app can be downloaded from the App Store to make Rapid Pass quick and easy.

Anyone with questions about donating, getting a Red Cross ID card or who would like more information, is asked to call 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED CROSS).

Family Honors Norma Lodge in 2024 Kiwanis Club Doo-Dah Parade

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Norma Lodge(left) being driven by Brynn Wildemuth(right).

The Kiwanis Club Doo-Dah Parade is an annual activity in the Geneseo Music Festival weekend. This year it also became a family birthday celebration for Norma Lodge, who will be 99 years old on July 20.

Lodge’s family members of all ages, from children and grandchildren to great-grandchildren, walked in this year’s Doo-Dah Parade held Friday, June 14, in downtown Geneseo. They wore T-shirts that read “Norma’s 99.”

The “birthday girl” can be seen riding in a gator, being driven by her great-granddaughter, Brynn Wildemuth, and the band members providing the birthday music are Lodge’s great-grandchildren.

Families who took part in the event included Lodge’s daughter and son-in-law, Steve and Lynette Wildemuth and their son Dirk Wildemuth and his wife, Megan, and their children; Wildemuth’s daughter Heidi Fleming and her husband, Adam Fleming and their children; and Lodge’s daughter Mary Gorman and her daughter Chrissy Weir and her children, and the children of Gorman’s son, Tom Gorman.

Nearly 25 members of the Lodge family took part in the parade to celebrate the milestone birthday of Norma Lodge.

Community Choir Concert and Children’s Choir Concert June 26

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

The 116-voice adult Geneseo Community Choir and the 26-voice Children’s Choir will celebrate their 16th annual concert entitled “Does It Matter?” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, in the Geneseo High School Concert Hall, located at the south end of Geneseo High School, 700 North State St.

Repertoire includes “Do You Hear the People Sing,” “Memory,” and “Bridge over Troubled Waters.”

The Geneseo Children’s Choir will sing “Play for Me a Simple Melody” and a “Mary Poppins Medley.”

Combined choirs will sing “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Earth Song,” and “God Bless the USA.”

Special performances will be presented by Addison Dykstra (2024 GHS graduate), and Isabella Haney (2024 GHS graduate and recipient of the Community Choir Scholarship).

Brass ensembles, a hand bell choir, guitarists, percussionists and dancers will be featured at the program.

Tickets are $5 for K-12th grades, $7 for 18 years of age and older; and children under five years old are free.