The summer events in Hampton will continue next week as La Luz Centro hosts its fifth Gran Festival, bringing the cultural celebration back to the community after having to cancel last year's event due to the pandemic.
"We're excited to have that milestone and to be able to have the community event again," said Associate Director Aimee Lenth.
Beyond discussing the mail delivery situation in SW Hampton, the Hampton City Council addressed regular items of business during their meeting on Thursday, June 10.
At the meeting, council member Steve Birdsall presented his nomination for June's Image of Pride Award. Birdsall selected a 2nd Ave NW property owned by BP Rentals and rented by tenant Katelyn Elscott as this month's recipient based on the work that both owner and tenant have done in sprucing the property up.
"He did significant upgrades," said Birdsall. "It just looks good sitting there."
The CAL Community School Board will be making another change to the upcoming school calendar.
At their regular meeting on Monday, June 14, the board scheduled another public hearing to amend the 2021-22 school year calendar. The original calendar included a week off for Spring Break, operating under the assumption that the state would allow snow days to effectively be eliminated through virtual learning. Without the need to account for missed days due to hazardous weather, the extra flexibility allowed for a week of Spring Break.
The Windsor Theatre premiered their first public showing of a recent movie release after more than a year on hiatus on Friday, June 11.
With movie showings canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theatre screen has seen little use over the last year. Independent films were shown last June and the theater tried running classic movies in July, but low attendance due to the pandemic put regularly scheduled movies on hold.
That changed on Friday with the premiere of Disney's "Cruella."
Tuesdays on the Town continued in Hampton last week as people came out to Band Shell Park for dinner and a show.
Showcasing last week's show was Elizabeth Lyons a rising vocalist with some local roots. Lyon's mother grew up in Mason City and her family still has farmland in the area.
"I grew up coming here over summers so it's special to come back to Iowa to play a show," said Lyons.
There is more than vintage knick-knacks at First and Second Vintage in downtown Hampton.
In addition to the restored furniture and handcrafted décor, the business also serves as a ceramic workshop for the community.
Run by Jerre Grefe, this store has been part of Hampton’s specialty shops since November of 2017. Originally run by Grefe and two others, she now operates the entire shop on her own.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of love,” Grefe said.
Faith Baptist Church’s new pastor Dustin Byrnes is settling in to his role.
Originally from Hermantown, Minnesota, Byrnes got a degree in law enforcement and worked as a police officer for nine years in Atikin, Minnesota.
Byrnes left law enforcement when he found Jesus and then worked several other jobs, including lumber yard work, a paraprofessional at a local school, and the YMCA, always making sure to be involved with volunteering at the church.
Through working with his church, Byrnes participated in a ten day mission trip to Ukraine.
The Hampton City Council decided not to install additional stop signs in southeast Hampton during their regular meeting on Thursday, May 27.
For the last several months, the council has been deliberating on the necessity of additional traffic control in southeast Hampton. The city has been studying the quadrant in question to determine the best course of action to take, if any.
History lovers congregated at the Hampton Cemetery on Sunday, May 30 for a stroll through the gravestones as the Friends of the Cemetery hosted the third Cemetery Walk.
"It seems like there's a bigger group than ever before," said Brian Stevens, who helped organize the event. "It's good. I like to see people out in the cemetery." .
