The Elgin City Website Presents:
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| Elgin Community Betterment Committee Page |
| ELGIN COMMUNITY BETTERMENT CLUB 2012 Part of the Iowa Great Place THE TURKEY RIVER RECREATIONAL CORRIDOR Dirk Torkelson, Chairperson Sara Strong, Secretary Al Seabrooke, Treasurer Those of us involved with the Elgin Community Betterment Club are really excited with what has transpired this past year in our part of the Turkey River Recreational Corridor as we progress with the TRRC in developing this wonderful area of the state and especially our community. Working with the TRRC and the Elgin 2023 Steering Committee, and a host of volunteers and ECBC members, we have seen the construction of the Swiss-themed clock tower, the new drinking fountain in the downtown city park, the new mural on the outside west wall of the Elgin Historical Society building, and an artistic depiction of the old Elgin Cycling Club, the caption added to the “Railroad” mural in upper town. We greeted a large contingent of volunteers who came for a two night stay at the Gilbertson campground while they cleaned up the Turkey River. These 200 or more volunteers were part of Project AWARE, which chooses one outstanding recreational river for cleanup each year, and is organized by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. In addition to the usual programs sponsored, and supported financially, by the ECBC, we also provided hospitality for the campers during Project AWARE. Local volunteers filled 200 welcome bags with volunteer baked cookies, 6 to a bags, gifts from local merchants, and information about our community. Another contingent of volunteers met the AWARE volunteers, after they came into Elgin from a day on the river, with a bottle of ice water and those gift bags. The bottled water also was donated locally thru ECBC. ECBC volunteers were happy to hear the complimentary comments and thanks from the AWARE volunteers, and many expressed their plans to return to the area in the future. ECBC did a substantial public relations effort on behalf of Elgin and the community. It isn’t difficult to do. We have much to offer, but we want to have more to promote with our effort in the future. ECBC also continued to organize and carry out our usual community activities and programs. We sponsored the Miss Elgin Pageant, the town wide cleanup day, the four town garage sales, the Easter basket hunt for the children, the weekly town and country market from May thru October, Sweet Corn Day, the Halloween party for the children, the Christmas open house at local businesses, the Santa Claus activities, the Christmas lighting contest and the 16th Christmas Dinner Theater. We will continue to sponsor these events. We will also continue to coordinate our efforts with the Elgin 2023 Steering Committee as they work toward their goal of community economic development and support for the recreation initiatives of the TRRC. The 2023 group has some important projects on their agenda for the coming years. They plan on renovation of the downtown city park bandstand, development of the recreational trail extension from the west end of Elgin thru town to the Turkey River, and finding, and helping to get an eating establishment up and running, in Elgin in the near future. Here is the 2012 Calendar of Elgin Events Fri. Jan. 27- TRRC Supper Fundraiser in Elkader at the Valley/Central BB games. 5:30—7:30 Fri../Sat. Feb. 3/4 Friends of the Library Book Sale Sat. Mar. 3 Miss Elgin Pageant Sat. Apr. 7 Children’s Easter Basket Hunt Sat. May 5 Town Wide Clean Up Day Thurs.—Sat. May 9—12 Spring Garage Sales Thurs. May 3 thru Oct. Town and Country Market: Thursdays 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Sat. July 28 Sweet Corn Day Thurs—Sat. Sept. 6-8 Fall Garage Sales Sat. Sept. 29 Turkey River 5K Run Sat. Oct. 13 Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale Wed. Oct. 31 Children’s Halloween Party Sat. Nov. 10 Friends of the Library Dessert/Entertainment Fundraiser ECBC CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES ARE UNDER REVIEW. TO BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE We thank you for your past support. Please consider joining again this year, and if you feel able please include an additional gift, either to the ECBC or 2023, along with your membership dues. The dues structure and a place to indicate your gift is found on the enrollment form included in this envelope. If you will include your email address, if you have one, you will get a copy of the minutes of the meetings, so that you can keep abreast of the group’s business. And as always, we encourage you to join us for our lunch meetings on the third Thursday of each month, beginning at 11:30. Rhonda Dales caters our lunches and we eat well for the $ 6.00 charge. |