Regular Council Meeting October 10th, 2023 - Removing the Bloat

By Dalcon DeMaranville
Geneseo Current

Removing the Bloat

• Power Plant equipment install has been completed
• A new test well drilling for a 5th well in Geneseo has yielded successful results. The well will aid with water supply to the city. The City Engineer and City Staff have started the design process for engineering services for a future 6th well and water treatment plant and elevated storage facility.
• On Monday, October 16, the 2nd Street and Oakwood water main project is scheduled to begin replacing a very old and problematic main that has had numerous breaks over the past two years.
• Council adopted an ordinance which will raise current sewer rates by 6% for year 2024.

Geneseo Police Selling Shirts to Promote Breast Cancer Awareness

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Since 2018, the Geneseo Police Department has raised both awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Awareness. The tradition continues this year with the department selling long-sleeve T-shirts.

Proceeds from the T-shirt sales will benefit the Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation and will be used for Women’s Health Services at the hospital.

The shirts area being sold for $30 each and will be available through October. The shirts are available to purchase at the Geneseo Police Department and at the Hospital Foundation Office.

Hospital Foundation Manager Darcy Hepner expressed her appreciation for the GPD efforts and said, “We are grateful for the support from the GPD. They are committed to helping the community in many capacities. Women’s Health is in the spotlight in October, but the proceeds will go to help women all year.”

The Geneseo Police Department is selling T-shirts to create Breast Cancer Awareness, and coordinating their efforts with the Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation to raise funds for Hammond-Henry Hospital’s Women’s Health Services. In the photo are, from left, Officer George Marquez; Darcy Hepner, Hammond-Henry Foundation Manager; Jessica Damewood, Police Dept. Administrative Assistant; and Geneseo Police Chief Casey Disterhoft. Photo Submitted

Halloween Treats 2023 at Area Churches

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Halloween brings with it “trick or treating” or “trunk or treating” for area youngsters and several churches in Geneseo have plans to distribute treats from the trunks of vehicles in church parking lots or inside the church. They are:

-3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, Grace United Methodist Church at 318 North Center St., trunk or treat in church parking lot.

-10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 28, Concordia Lutheran Church at 316 South Oakwood Ave, trunk or treat in church parking lot on East North St., across from the church.

-4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29, First Methodist Church at 302 North State St., trunk or treat in church parking lot.

-4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, Fellowship Room at First Lutheran Church, 114 East Main St., individual stations will be set up with volunteers distributing treats. Hot dogs and hot chocolate also will be served.

THE ORIGIN OF TRICK-OR-TREATING: (found online)

Trick of treating, in costume and ringing doorbells to ask for treats, has been a tradition in the United States and other countries for more than a century. Its origin remains murky, but traces can be identified in ancient Celtic festivals, early Roman Catholic holidays, medieval practices and even British politics.

Sharon Michelson’s Art in RutabagA Window

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Sharon Michaelsen is the featured artist for the month of October at RutabagA Art Gallery in downtown Geneseo. Her window display of shooting stars, done in acrylics, is the result of Michaelsen’s involvement with the Geneseo Community Choir. She said, “This past summer, I had the honor of being invited to paint on stage with our local 124-voice Community Choir as they sang ‘Choose Something Like a Star.’ Images from the Hubble Space Telescope were my inspiration for these preliminary practice paintings of nebulae (exploding stars). This was certainly an exciting adventure for me to work outside of my comfort zone of painting pastel portraits of children and veterans and creating pen and ink drawings of cathedrals and Victorian homes.” - “From stardust we came, and to stardust we shall return.” RutabagA Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Photo by Claudia Loucks

Oil Pastel Class Tuesday at RutabagA

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Geneseo artist Joyce Mattan will instruct a class in oil pastel from 5: to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, at RutabagA Art Gallery, 108 North State in downtown Geneseo. Cost is $10 for the class and more information is available at the Gallery, 309-944-4994. Mattan has been creating artwork for the last 50 years.

Photo by Claudia Loucks

Paper Collage Display at Smith Studio

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

The art work of Janet Ahrens, Grinnell, Iowa, currently is featured at the Smith Studio and Gallery in downtown Geneseo. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Smith Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

David Smith, owner of Smith Studio, said the artist has received broad acclaim for her constantly adapting collages that are variations on a theme. Ahrens’ abstract three-dimensional paper works are often noted for their unique style, elegance, and technique….He said, “Janet’s wide use of texture, strong lines, and industrial materials make her work an excellent choice for a wide range of decorative projects.”

The artist said, “The ever-changing landscape has been a constant theme in my work. I try to capture a moment in time, showing how the environment shapes the landscape over the centuries.”

Janet Ahrens, Grinnell, Iowa

Float Face-Off Underway for GHS Homecoming

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Even though it was in the beginning stages, there were many Geneseo High School students at work at the Float Face-Off on Wednesday in preparation for this year’s Homecoming Parade which will be at 3:30 p.m. Friday, starting at Geneseo City Park and traveling north through downtown to the high school.

“Hollywood Homecoming” is the 2023 homecoming theme . Photo by Claudia Loucks

Lilyann Garza, left, and Abby Poston are ready to the spray the poles for the ropes that will line the red carpet on the freshman class float.

Anna Davis and Matthew Darnall, sophomores at GHS, work on their class float which includes the words “Peace Love Prevention,” in memory of their classmate, Lyla “Random” Litherland, who died unexpectedly earlier this year.

Dylan Gehl, left; Colin Orwig, Erica DeDecker and Emelia Schmitt, members of the Junior Class at GHS, are shown by their class float, “Red Carpet Hollywood.”

GHS seniors Hayden Spranger, left, Emma DeBaene and Emma Veloz begin work on their class float, “Building the Titanic,” which will be part of the Homecoming Parade on Friday.

September 26 - City Council Meeting

By Dalcon DeMaranville
Geneseo Current

Removing the Bloat

• Election forms are available for pickup at City Hall
• Debut of new Geneseo Commercials: Distributed October 15 – December 15
• Appointment of Jeffrey Lang to Police Commission
• Proposal to removal of brush and sucker trees along Poppy Garden Road to clean area around transmission lines.
• Police has requested funding to upgrade police in-squad cameras
• Conditional real estate purchase and sale agreement of Olivia Drive ground to WCKJJ.LLC
• Condominium development on 3.99 acres of Olivia Drive for 29 new individual housing units
• Proposed a 4% sewer increase for 2024
• Independent rate study of all utilities going forward for 2025 and beyond

You can find the agenda in it’s entirety here: https://cityofgeneseo.civicweb.net/document/45908/?printPdf=true

Men’s Health Morning Series Oct. 4

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Area men are invited to the Men’s Health Morning Series presentation from 7 to 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the Hammond-Henry Hospital conference room.  Detective Jamie Shoemaker, who is with the Geneseo Police Department, will present a program on the “IMPACT Task Force.”

Those attending may purchase breakfast in the hospital dining room.  For information and to make a reservation, call 309-944-9112 or email  hhhfound@hammondhenry.com .  Parking is available in the east parking lot on Center St.  Blood pressure screenings will be available.   The Men’s Health Morning Series is sponsored by the Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation.

 In 2022 Detective Shoemaker began working to set up a mental health task force within the police department, and it was while she was working in the community and as a result of her training with crisis intervention that she realized more than just help for mental health was needed.

   “During trainings it was brought to my attention that a person who suffers form mental illness can turn to substance use to self medicate, therefore making our task force not just about mental illness, but also substance use as well as crisis intervention.  Every person we work with has different needs and different resources they need to help them.”

   She said it has taken some time to collect a list of resources – whether it is for inpatient substance use detox, inpatient patient mental health, therapy, food, and possibly housing.

Detective Jamie Shoemaker