News

By Molly Moser

Born under a porch in downtown Guttenberg, a kitten now called Oscar was delivered to the Guttenberg Veterinary Clinic for euthanization last summer. Oscar’s hind legs were severely deformed from the knee down, and veterinarian David Connell explains the kitten would likely have become food for a hungry predator if left on his own. 

Thanks to the wisdom and kindness of the Guttenberg vet, and now thanks to a local troop of Girl Scouts, Oscar’s nine lives will be spent in good health and good company.

“It didn’t look like much else was wrong with him, so we decided to keep him here at the clinic,” said Connell. “He started scooting around, and we got a kick out of it.” In fact, Oscar has no trouble at all getting from place to place. He played with other kittens that were also at the clinic waiting to be adopted, and started gaining weight due to his healthy appetite. 

Daisy Troop 7221, led by Lynda Schaeffers, Stephanie Horns and Tessa Dietrich, toured the Guttenberg Veterinary Clinic just after Oscar’s second surgery, which removed the underdeveloped bones in one of his back legs.  Veterinary technician Shannon Knack talked to the scouts about Oscar’s situation, mentioning the possibility of a wheelchair for Oscar. “She wasn’t sure if they could afford it,” recalls Dietrich. 

The annual community Easter egg hunt will be held in Guttenberg on Saturday, April 4, at 1:00 p.m., sponsored by Guttenberg Rotary Club and the Guttenberg Care Center

For the second consecutive year, the event will be held in the park south of Clayton Ridge High School on River Park Drive. 

In previous years, the event was held at the Guttenberg Care Center, but construction work caused a change in location. 

By Molly Moser

The Clayton County Artists are hosting this year’s Region 3 Iowa Artists Show in Guttenberg on Saturday, April 11. The show will be held on the third floor of the Municipal Building and is open to the public from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Coordinator Gail Larson expects about 35 artists (fourteen of which are from Clayton County) to exhibit up to three works each.

Local artists Pat Peck, Carol Hartmann, Bev Hamann, Sue Bolsinger, Harry Gresham, Verna Lenth, Heather Meyer, Larson, and others are expected to have work in the exhibition. All the work to be exhibited has been created within the past two years and has never before been shown in Iowa Artists regional or state shows, so viewers can expect to see pieces they’ve not yet encountered.

Guttenberg artist Pat Peck plans to bring three oil paintings depicting scenes from her travels. One image shows a hill town in Italy built on the outcropping of a volcano known as Overito. The second is a painting of Gallway Bay in Ireland, and the third features a group of children watching a man shear a sheep. “With a competition like that, it really inspires you to do your best and find unusual things,” Peck told The Press.

“This year the judge at the show will be David Prehm, noted watercolorist and book illustrator,” said Larson. Prehm will select one piece from each 10 exhibited in Guttenberg for a first, second and third place ribbon, as well as a number of honorable mentions at his discretion. Blue ribbon winners from the regional shows go to the state show, which will be May 2 in Cedar Falls. 

By Molly Moser

“Let me show you the fabric,” says Erin Tepper, a 2011 Clayton Ridge graduate who is about to finish school at Iowa State University with a degree in apparel design. She pulls a coppery brown garment from her bag. “The fabric is what started it all.”

It’s easy to see why. Reversible sequins, each held in place by a single stitch, cover the cloth like scales. From a distance the fabric appears distressed, soft, and even slightly furry. When it’s close enough to touch, that’s exactly what you feel compelled to do – flip the sequins back and forth, revealing a light side and a dark side that create organic, ever-changing patterns. 

Tepper purchased three-and-a-half yards of this fabric while interning in New York City. The unique find inspired eight outfits that debuted on the runway during Omaha Fashion Week (OFW), March 10-15. 

“Despite what many people on the coasts might expect, fashion in the Midwest is strong,” commented OFW producer Brook Hudson. “There is a very real possibility Omaha can claim to be a leading fashion hub in the Midwest.”