On December 2, The News will be publishing our annual Winter sports section featuring basketball and wrestling teams from Mid-Prairie, Hillcrest, Pathway, Highland and Lone Tree.  Not every school has wrestling, but Mid-Prairie also has girls wrestling.

Sports editor Jeff Yoder and sports reporter/columnist Paul Bowker are working hard to make sure this will be one of The News’ best winter sports previews.

RCS

The Christmas in Kalona Committee with the Kalona Area Chamber of Commerce is busy trying to put together a fun event on Dec. 4. Plans include Santa arriving by the Kalona Volunteer Fire truck, a Christmas Market  at the YMCA gym from 9 a.m. to 1 pm., which is also were Santa will be after his 10 a.m. arrival. Children can get their photos taken with Santa in the lobby at the YMCA.  There will be other childrens activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Christmas in Kalona Events will conclude at the Kalona Historical Village, with a Christmas Tree Walk, caroling and warm drinks and treats.

The Historical Village and Chamber are working together to bring back an old Kalona tradition of having businesses and individuals decorating a tree or wreath.  The trees will be on the grounds at the Historical Village. There will also be fire pits where you can make smores or toast some marshmallows.

It’s great to see the Historical Village and Chamber working together to deliver a fun day in Kalona where merchants are also welcoming you to take advantage of specials. 

RCS

Recently Helen and I flew to Atlanta, GA. To visit our son Scott and his family.

Airlines are back to packing as many passengers on a plane as they can but require that everyone wear a mask throughout the flight.  By the end of our return trip to Cedar Rapids, we got fairly skilled at lifting up the bottom of the mask and either taking a sip of our drink or  a bite of a snack and quickly pulling it down before we consumed some germs.

I am looking forward to the day when masks are not necessary. Or is that going to be the new norm?

RCS

While we were in Buford, GA. We went to the Mountain Bike races in which our grandchildren, Ryann and Mason, participated.

Mason, a sophomore, finished first in four of five races. He finished second by two tenths of a second in the other race. Mason finished the season as the overall JV points leader and was the state individual JV championship medal. Ryann, a 6th grader in her first year of competition, won a third, two fourth and a fifth place medal out of the five races she participated in.

Our son Scott is the Buford High School volunteer Mountain Bike Racing coach.