It was another great night for music at Old Settlers Park. The final concert of Old Settlers Association’s Music in the Park summer series was Sunday evening, featuring Mt. Pleasant band ‘Amarillo’.
Sheryl Decker, chair of events in Old Settlers Park thanked the many volunteers, especially the Elks Club, who was serving. Decker said she thought this year’s concerts have gone very well. “We’re so pleased with this and what we get from the community to attend,” she said, “and that’s the way that we can maintain our parks, so we’re delighted to see big crowds like this.
” The first concert of the summer was moved to the Methodist church due to the high temperatures. “It’s too bad because LMNOP did such a great job for us. But it was so hot, that you can’t risk people’s health either,” she said.
“Of course, Richie Lee always brings a great crowd and the Pen City Cruisers always bring neat cars.” It was also sponsor recognition night. “I’m glad that we get a chance to recognize the sponsors that make it possible,” she said.
“Because they’re they ones that we have to thank for the quality of the music that we get.” The Old Settlers Association tends to the plants and flowers in the park. The Smallwood family, Decker said, adopted the flag memorials.
“They have been transporting a lot of flowers from their own gardens into the flag memorial – the ones that the deer don’t like; they last a little bit longer. We’ve had our experience of deer liking whatever we plant,” she said. “We also buy the Christmas decorations and new flags for the buntings and the flags for display, our national flag.
” The playground was an OSA project, Decker said, which was a $40,000 endeavor. “We did that in nine months, with the help of the Holy Trinity Catholic School, because they were using the park as a playground at that time,” she said. “And we got $12,000 from the $40,000 we raised from the school alone.
So that was pretty cool.” The storage shed near the bus shelter was another important improvement for the OSA. “Jim Decker, Danny Bahl and Brad Hart, a bunch of people got together, along with the city of Fort Madison, and built that storage shed,” Sheryl Decker said.
“This (park) is like 16 yards’ worth of stuff to take care of and it’s al ot of work. And we needed a place to store our hoses and our grills in the winter, stuff like that. You can’t put tools in the same room as you put food in.
So we are thankful to get the city — they supported us with about half the money that it cost to do that. And that has made a big difference for Jim and the boys that are trying to take care of the park.” One of the groups recognized Saturday evening was the City of Fort Madison.
City Manager Laura Liegois was there to accept the thanks and expressed appreciation on behalf of the city. “Thank you so much to this group that does maintain this park and keep it beautiful and provides great programming throughout the summer,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure for my first summer here in Fort Madison as the city manager to get to come to your concerts.
And thank you for all you do to keep the park beautiful.” Decker especially thanked Public Works Director Mark Bousselot and the city crew, “led by the great Andrew McFall,” Decker said, “because they work hard for us and we appreciate everything they do.” The music is paid for totally by the sponsors of the park.
The $100-$249 sponsors, they provide the OSA with money for startup expenses to by food and other meal supplies. The OSA gave a new award — the Volunteer of the Year award — to Dan Bahl. All OSA concerts are free, thanks to the cooperation with the Fort Madison City Parks Department and support from official sponsors: Climax Molybdenum, ConAgra Brands, Connection Bank, Sheryl and Jim Decker, Sharon and Moudy Nabulsi, Art and Kathleen Nelson, Newberry Center Silver Steppers, Donald and Earleen Page, Pen City Current, Pilot Grove Savings Bank, Seither & Cherry, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 617, Marie and Lex Whitcanack, Bonnie & Paul Wilkerson, Beverly Fahey, Great River Health Systems, Bill and Bev Link, Ed and Georgia Merschman and Jan and Jack Moore.
Community sponsors include Bruce and Marilyn Carlson, Stan and Jane Haessig (FMHA Class of 1967 and Aquinas High School Class of 1969), Linda and Harry Hoenig, OCI Nitrogen Plant, Pen City Cruisers, Linda Smith. In kind sponsors include Brad Hart, FM United Methodist Church (rainout location), Elks Lodge and Lions Club volunteers, Fraise Family (Halloween) Hy-Vee, The Fort Madison Daily Democrat, Pen City Current, FM Chamber newsletter, Dan Bahl (grounds volunteer), Cindy and David Smallwood Family and all Old Settlers Association members, officers, bakers and volunteers..
