Since 2011, the City of Kalona has recognized individuals or businesses that have made a unique contribution to our community with a Community Award. Recipients are nominated by their fellow …
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Since 2011, the City of Kalona has recognized individuals or businesses that have made a unique contribution to our community with a Community Award. Recipients are nominated by their fellow community members and are recognized at the annual Kalona Fall Festival.
The 2022 Community Award recipients are Kalona Sales Barn, Anita Kanagy, Peggy Kauffman, Pleasantview Home, and Ron Slechta.
The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. on the main stage at the Kalona Historical Village.
As the Site Manager at Goodwin Dining Center in Wellman, Anita Kanagy has brought homemade meals to hungry citizens throughout the community since 2008. Her background in food service is extensive, including work at Kalonial Townhouse Restaurant, J.W. Foods, and Westside Petro.
“The Goodwin Senior Dining center under the direction of Anita has truly gone above and beyond in providing high quality meals for Kalona seniors. These meals were so very important to our seniors during COVID as their ability to get out was dramatically limited. The quality meals that were provided up to 3 times per week were and are still very much appreciated,” reads the nomination form.
“It feels really nice,” Kanagy said in reaction to being nominated for the Community Award. “I’m really appreciative of that. I just think I come to work and do my job, it’s just what I do. The people always say ‘Thank you’ and “Good meals,’ they recognize that. I feel bad sometimes that people that are in nursing homes don’t get quite homemade meals.”
Kanagy works to make as much as she can from scratch in the Dining Center’s kitchen. She enjoys making meals that many people wouldn’t make for themselves, acknowledging that we don’t always have the energy it takes to cook as we get older.
She believes the work the Dining Center does is “really important” to the community, and stresses that it is not just for seniors; she urges everyone to eat at Goodwin, regardless of age.
She also appreciates what this community has done for her.
“You have your family and your faith and neighbor people that feel like neighbors when they’re not even your neighbors. My son has had a lot of health problems and he’s had numerous liver transplants. When that befell us as a family, people just came together.”
Hairstylist Peggy Kauffman was a Kalona business owner for 30 years before retiring in 2011. In the building that now houses Washington Chiropractic & Wellness Center, she ran a hair salon called Peggy’s Place.
“When clients called to make an appointment, Peggy would cheerfully greet them by answering the phone with, ‘Peggy’s Place, this is Peggy!’” her nominator wrote.
The nominator continued, “There are many in our community who benefitted from Peggy’s talents, including those who asked her for just the right look in preparing for dance recitals, proms, senior photos, weddings, family pictures, and other special occasions, as well as looking their best every day. Peggy excelled in staying up to date in current hair styles and products. Peggy was a good listener and made many long-time friendships with her clients.”
When asked how she feels about being recognized with a Community Award, Kauffman admitted to being shocked.
Her work extended beyond the surface of cutting and styling hair.
“I had one gal that said she liked to come in because she said I was her therapist. I would listen to what they had to say and comfort them if they needed to be comforted. I was there to help them as much as I could. I mean, I couldn’t financially help them, but could help them by making them feel better about themselves.”
“Most of them knew that they could tell me anything and nobody would hear once I walked out the door.”
“[The Kalona community] is very important to me. Being in the business that I was in, I met a lot of people, and they were very important to me. There are just so many that have passed on, and it’s kind of sad to see that happen.”
More than a columnist, ad salesman, and publisher of The News newspaper, Ron Slechta is actively involved in many organizations in the community he loves.
“Bringing The News back to life again, many years volunteering with Rotary, Optimist and Chamber, also serving as president multiple times for both Rotary and Optimist. Active in community events, always promoting his community and believing in it. You can always see him walking around as he loves his town. Doing quite well for being 80 and working full time to make sure this community still has a newspaper,” were the reasons given for his nomination.
“I feel honored to be appreciated,” Slechta said of his award nomination.
He has been a 30-year member of the Rotary Club of Kalona, and for 25 years he has been a member of the Optimist Club of Kalona. He has also served for 25 years on Kalona’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
In 1991, Slechta and his wife Helen accepted an invitation to purchase The Kalona News from its previous owners. The Slechtas sold the newspaper in 2016 but resumed ownership again in 2020 when the interim owners faced financial difficulty.
The success the newspaper enjoys today Slechta attributes to, “Hard work and a supportive community.” He adds, “If there’s a good newspaper in a community, it’s a better community. A good community supports a good newspaper if you do it right.”
“I think it’s a great place to live and to do business,” Slechta said of Kalona.
By conducting weekly sheep, goat, hog, cattle, and hay sales, the Kalona Sales Barn has been a part of community life since 1947. The fourth-generation family business, currently operated by Devon and LaVaugh Mullet and their three children, is guided by the principles of customer care, honesty, and integrity.
“The Kalona Sales Barn is celebrating being in business for 75 years. They have continually been a wonderful employer while bringing folks to our community month in and month out. The Mullet family has been a true asset to the City of Kalona,” reads the nomination form.
The Kalona Sales Barn was first formed in cooperation with Chester Miller and Simon Mullet, holding the first auction August 25th, 1947. The main barn and sales pavilion was constructed in 1951 with many additions since.
The three Draft Horse & Carriage Sales the Sales Barn holds each year bring customers and guests to Kalona from throughout the United States. It is not unusual to have buyers and at these sales from both coasts, according to Devin Mullet.
The Sales Barn also holds the largest and oldest monthly Horse Sale in the Midwest, selling from 300-600 horses on the first Monday of each month.
Kalona Sales Barn’s weekly auctions provide continuous, competitive, and reliable sources for famers to market their livestock to buyers throughout the United States.
Since 1958, Pleasantview has provided elderly care services to the Kalona area through its nursing facility and Independent Living units. Local Mennonite and Amish ministers began the faith-based home, and the organization’s mission is to support healthy living and quality of life.
“The Home and staff have done a great job over the past 2+ years in both managing an ever-changing health crisis and also continuing to look towards the future with the new expansion project. The Board, Executive group and staff should all be commended for their efforts in taking great care of our aging community during these difficult times,” are the reasons given for the community’s nomination.
Larry Swartzendruber, Director of Advancement at Pleasantview, writes, “It is largely due to community support that Pleasantview succeeds, along with quality staff, wonderful residents and supportive families.”
Pleasantview aims to embody four core values: quality, community, integrity, and kindness. Swartzendruber elaborates, “Quality is ‘striving for excellence and superior service;” Integrity is ‘doing the right thing when no one is watching;’ Community is ‘living in supportive relationships;’ and Kindness is ‘serving others in a caring way.’ The entire staff is encouraged to exemplify these values on a consistent basis.”
“The campus improvement project currently underway will expand programs and options by offering the full continuum of care: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Care, Long-Term Care and Memory Care services.”
“With a strong, positive culture, Pleasantview creates a positive environment in which to support residents as they continue ‘living in community.’ Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about: the residents!”
