Speaking is a daily occurrence for nearly everyone. Some people are blessed with the gift of gab while others have learned the art of speaking. Four Rams have practiced and performed their art of speech at the district individual speech contest on March 1st in Whiting, and two proved that they have mastered the art of speaking. Junior Ada Gee (daughter of Kellie and Jeff Gee of Mapleton) and Freshman Caitlee Koenigs (daughter of Abby and Josh Koenigs of Mapleton) both earned trips to the state individual speech contest held on March 15th at Woodbury Central High School.
    "Our whole team was filled with first-time contest participants, said Bethany Mallory who, along with Kristi Paulsen coached the ladies. "We were so proud of their willingness to experiment with some new competitions and push themselves to grow despite their fears."
    Though she is a junior, Ada Gee is a rookie in Speech. She competed in Solo Improvisation.
    "I joined speech because I've always been an outgoing person, said Gee. "I've never had trouble speaking to strangers or large groups of people so I thought I'd give it a shot."
    "Ada wasn't sure what improvisation really involved, but she was up for the challenge," said Mallory. "She has a natural ability to think creatively on the spot so this category ended up being a good fit for her skills and abilities."
    "I was nervous about qualifying for state and was definitely unsure considering it was my first time," added Gee. "Once I drew my prompts and got a couple of minutes to brainstorm, I was excited and confident I would execute it well. After qualifying, I was excited and already starting to think of the next step. I like to be prepared and was asking my friends from other schools what to expect at state."
    Freshman Caitlee Koenigs competed in Interpretive Reading Prose. Unlike Gee, it took a little convincing to participate in speech.
    "Speech was something I really wasn't interested in, but my mom and sister (Cadence) pushed me a lot to do it, because it is a good learning opportunity and skill to gain," said Koenigs. "I am very glad that they did that because I learned more about myself. I never thought that I could stand up in front of a group of people and talk confidently. My dad also made it very clear that having public speaking skills will take me a lot farther in life than my jump shot."
    "Caitlee put in many hours on her own as she prepped for contest," said Mallory. "Because she was so familiar with the material, she was able to make some unanticipated, but required, adjustments to her program the day of the contest. She dug in and kept practicing up until her performance and ultimately did a terrific job.
    Caitlee, upon making it to State, now has another goal.
    "Honestly, my first emotion (when I learned that I qualified for Stae) was excitement and I wasn't thinking about anything, I was just extremely happy," said Koenigs. "But, my first thought was my new goal which is to beat my sister Cadence and make it to All-state as a freshman."
    Cadence Koenigs had been chosen for All-State her junior and senior years.
    Along with Gee and Koenigs, Nina McMillen and Chloe Wanberg stood in front of the crowd and participated in the district competition. McMillen competed in Solo Improvisation, and Wanberg competed in Original Oratory. Mallory commented that they also did very well in their categories.
    "If you are thinking about doing speech, go for it," exclaimed Ada. "It can sound intimidating, but Mrs. Mallory and Mrs. Paulsen do a great job of getting you prepared. Starting with group speech would be a great choice if you maybe have stage fright or don't want to do it alone. There is also a wide variety of things you can do, so definitely ask questions if you're interested. Lastly, do not wait and say, ‘Oh I'll do it next year.' Get started early so you can have experience under your belt and plenty of time to grow and excel!"
    Caitlee added concerning the thought of going out for Speech, "I would tell them to just go for it and do it. It is a different activity, and the skill of being able to confidently talk in front of people is what you will use for the rest of your life.
    Congratulations, ladies!
    Photo submitted by Mrs. Mallory. Thank you, Bethany!

    The MVAO middle school 7th/8th grade concert choir will perform their annual Variety Show on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 7:00 pm in the Anthon Center building. Please join them for a night of jokes, skits, pop songs and dancing.

    Cord Memorial Library in Danbury will be busy planting flower seeds with Cecelia Dose from Posy Lane Floral on Wednesday, March 19th from 4:00 - 5:30; come and go at your convenience.
    What a beautiful way to welcome spring! With a little love & care, you will have some charming flowers to brighten your spring and summer. Hope to see you there!

    With the end of the third quarter of this year's school year ending next week, it's time for the Round-Ups to be held for the schools.
    Next week the Danbury Catholic Elementary School will hold Preschool Round-Up for the 3-year old class. To attend this round-up on Wednesday, March 19th, you are asked to either call the school at 712-883-2244 or email office@danburycatholic.org. Questions regarding round-up or Danbury Catholic School may also be asked via the phone or email above.

    Last Tuesday evening and into Wednesday we had a blizzard in the area. It began with rain Tuesday afternoon and finally turned to snow overnight. The winds picked up as the snow picked up, and white out conditions were prevalent as no travel was advised.
    Unlike many blizzards, this one didn't bring as much snow as many blizzards do, somewhere around 3". This picture, taken by Lee Petersen at Rick's Computers (thanks, Lee) demonstrates the challenge of measuring the snowfall. In the foreground, hardly any snow has covered the driveway. However, the drift in the center of the picture collected several feet of snow.
    Here's a bit of trivia: This drift had a little help in growing so tall. Inside this drift was a vehicle!

    The parishioners at St. John's United Methodist Church in Mapleton are going a bit Italian on Sunday with their lasagna supper which will be served from their church.
    There are two options for this meal, lasagna with lettuce salad and breadstick and cupcake for $10 or just lasagna and a cupcake for $6. This meal is offered as drive thru; pick it up and eat it at home!
    To reserve your meals, contact Tena at 840-0043 or Nancy at 889-1050.

    The Mapleton Zone LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League) invites you to their annual prayer service. This year the service will be at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove. The theme is "Blessed are They..." based on the Biblical Beatitudes. The date is Thursday, March 20, 2025. Meet at 9am for coffee/rolls. Service will follow after from 9:30-10:30am. All are welcome.