If you enjoyed the fireworks displays of the Sons of AmVets at Richmond and at Wellman, you can thank the City of Kalona (and many other contributors) for helping to fund both displays.

The City of Kalona used funds from the WCRF municipal quarterly municipal grants to contribute $3,000 to the Wellman Display and $3,000 to the Amvets fireworks display, according to Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh. The funds were paid directly to J&M Displays out of Yarmouth, IA for Richmond and to City of Wellman upon getting verification of the cost of fireworks.

Both fireworks displays took considerably more funds from other contributors.  The Sons of AmVets recognize the donors to their fireworks with a thank you ad on pages 6A and 7A of this edition of The News.  You can thank all those businesses for making the July 3 fireworks possible. 

“The goal is to help improve the fireworks displays that are attended by Kalona residents,” commented Schlabaugh in explaining why the Kalona City Council approved the fireworks donations since the City of Kalona doesn’t have any fireworks. 

I’ve always enjoyed fireworks and everything that happens on Independence Day including the placement of over 350 flags by Kalona Optimists on lawns of homeowners and now at Kalona City Park. All this helps remind me of the Declaration of Independence and appreciate our founding fathers. 

I was disappointed to read in the Sunday Cedar Rapids Gazette that a professor at Drake University tells her students that the American Revolution that resulted in the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was completely unnecessary. She says the United States should have remained tied to the British similar to what Canada did. 

I also find it disturbing that vastly overpaid professional athletes dishonor the American flag and all that it stands for by kneeling or refusing to stand for Old Glory at games. The singing of the Star-Spangled Banner and raising of the flags is one of the things I have enjoyed before the start of sporting events in high schools, colleges and professional games.

The News will be publishing the Kalona Area Visitors Guide in late July for distribution across the state and to be handed out at the Kalona booth at the State Fair.  The News will be printing 16,000 copies to help promote Kalona and nearby communities including Wellman, Riverside and Washington.   Advertisers from all those communities and Iowa City help to make this popular publication possible.

The Kalona Area Visitors Guide is also used to help introduce newcomers to our communities. 

If you have not yet been contacted about advertising in this guide, please get in touch with publisher Ron Slechta or ad designer Anna Kahn of The News staff by calling 319-656-2273 or stopping by The News at 419 B Avenue, Kalona.