Congrats on 100 years St. Joseph – let’s celebrate!
by Steve Dehler, Centennial Committee, Chair
news@thenewsleaders.com
Dear community leaders,
Congratulations, St. Joseph! You made it! 100 years old and you still look like a spring chicken! Some people thought it wouldn’t work, but look at us now!
Somehow it seems strange to congratulate yourselves for something you really had nothing to do with. You weren’t there when they voted to incorporate. Some weren’t there 50 years later when the creek was wide and there was no water, sewer or paved roads. Some maybe only just moved here recently. Why should you celebrate?
Here’s why. You are a part of the St. Joseph community. Everyone who has ever lived here has left his or her mark and you are celebrating that. If not for the people like you, who took pride in their community and left their mark by being involved and promoting their humble abode, St. Joseph would be a ghost town today.
1990 is here, we are here, and together we can celebrate. The past year was one of planting seeds of interest, enthusiasm and desire. This year is harvest time.
Looking back at the notes from last year’s meetings, I see many areas that need cultivating, probably a little fertilizing also. Help is needed:
• to develop a theme for the July Fourth parade.
• to promote an Education Day or week so our youth, both adult and adolescent, can learn about their heritage and about their city’s growth – maybe a college, high school and grade school combined effort.
• to design a time capsule filled and dedicated to our posterity – maybe to be added to every 25 years.
• to set up and display old photos and artifacts for July, August and September somewhere in the city. This is a large project, but a fun one – Heritage Center people might even help.
• to help the Knights of Columbus with a Mass with the Bishop planned for Aug. 26 – maybe they need help. Just ask.
• to help the Lions and the Recreation Association plan a parade and street dance for Aug. 18 and 19 – lots of room here for some exciting programs.
• to set up a Photo of Yesteryear booth so people can dress up and have their pictures taken.
• to set up some hands-on learning projects such as making apple cider, churning butter, grinding flour, spinning yarn, making moonshine, milking a cow, sawing logs and more.
• to help the Lions plan a kiddie parade that same evening.
• to present a Machinery Hill Show right here in St. Joseph – this would be a great 4-H project.
• to plant trees, individually in your yard or in groups for a civic project, and put red-, white-and-blue ribbons around them during this centennial year.
Maybe an old-fashioned turnout at a St. Joseph-Cold Spring baseball game could be presented. When was the last time you went to a Sunday afternoon baseball game here in St. Joseph with your family and friends?
Maybe a donkeyball basketball game at St. Benedict’s would be fitting. This would be unique.
Maybe a real, honest-to-goodness talent show at the BAC or one of the elementary schools could be arranged. There must be a lot of hidden talent – singers, piano (or other instrument) players, actors and actresses to put on a skit or maybe a little pas de deux.
Maybe some person or group could put together an air show or balloon rides, or, or, or…
The ideas are endless, the opportunities to celebrate are great. Please don’t wait to be asked, just pick or decide something and do it.
Any interested groups or individuals with plans are invited to our next Centennial Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22 in City Hall.
Join the celebration, St. Joseph! Congratulations!
Mike Klein’s Meat Market opened in 1909. It was located on the north side of Minnesota Street, west of College Avenue. Ownership has passed on over the years. In 1989 a fire erupted and destroyed a large portion of the original building. It was rebuilt as the meat processing building.
