What makes Kalona tick? Stop and reflect and note all the people living here, the businesses, the friendliness and a combination of that keeps the town moving. Recently several times, helping people in need was a good gesture, as well as sales for Pleasantview Home, etc.

The showers have been coming in nice, the schools have started, mowing grass continues, getting produce from the garden - aren’t we all blessed?

The play, Harvey, was on at the Old Creamery Theater at the Amanas from July 23 to August 29. Hope you didn’t miss it.

In the fast lane: This happened in Bozeman, Montana. A man ticketed for doing 104 mph in a 45 mph zone offered a good excuse. He was air-drying his newly washed car.

Credit: A system of buying on the lay-awake plan.

Ray Reschly is laying brick on the new duplex at PV Home. His helper is Milt Erhenfelt.

Correction - Omar Troyer is at Waukon, Iowa, not Washington.

What’s this mean?

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Answer - Downtown

Liz Miller, Ellis and Marcia’s daughter, worked at the Hills Bank Kalona this summer. She will now be enrolled at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana.

Omar Ropp is starting to build a house in Key Estates. Looks like a good location.

The Clayton Whites returned from a trip to Alaska for 10 days. They stopped at the Carpenter’s Church in Anchorage. Hubert Schwartzendruber was the tour guide.

Three semis went by with those long white beams to be used at the Wassonville bridge. One person told me they think they must be from 80-100 feet long.

A preacher in her place of ministry had just polished off a mess of fried chicken. Looking out after dinner, the preacher remarked, “Your rooster seems happy and crows a lot.”

“He should be,” the host replied. “His oldest son just entered the ministry.”

Did you see on TV in the State Fair pictures where Bobby Kinsinger won 5th place in the fancy horse riding contest? That’s good considering all the beautiful horses entered. Bobby is Vernon and Mary’s son.

Craig Miller, a student at IMS and son of Nelson and Carol Miller, overhauled and painted their John Deere tractor. It was a 1956 John Deere 50. He took it to the State Fair and got a blue ribbon. It looks just like a new one. Congratulations to Craig.

If you were going to build a house where would you get a blueprint for it? Someone with experience in this field is L. David Yoder in the north part of town.

He has had experience in the construction business since 1946 when he worked with contractor Leo Yoder. His first job was helping on the Cheese Factory. He also worked 2 1/2 years for a contractor in Iowa City.

In 1957 Earl Yoder approached him to work and manage Kalona Lumber when Earl bought Eclipse Lumber and moved to where Kalona Builders now is located. Some of the employees he had were Quinton Miller, Kenneth Hochstedler, Ronnie Weaver, Chuck Swantz, Homer Brenneman and Roger Hochstetler. There may have been others.

Due to health reasons, in July of 1963 he went into the design blueprint business. He took correspondence from Chicago Tech, University of Denver, University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin. He also took correspondence work and graduated from I.M.S.

In his work he has designed 300+ new residence plans for people in the area. Buildings in Kalona he has designed are the telephone office, Chamber Building, Yoder Antiques, Pull’r Inn addition, Appliance Barn, Parlor Cafe, Kalona fire station, Miller Medicine Cabinet, Redigers Service Center, Greene Center Bookstore, Boone’s Barber Shop, park shelters, Kinneer’s building, body shop, Kalona Feed, Dr. Conwell’s office. When the Townhouse moved, it took only 53 days and 23 contractors to get it ready to move to the present location.

He has designed 52 churches or renovations and additions to churches. He does the plans for the electrical, heating, plumbing and carpenter work. Now it is easier since he draws all plans on a computer. He has done plans and prints in seven states. Dave was responsible for moving the depot which was the beginning of the Kalona Historical Society. John Woodin was the first president and L. David vice president of the board.

His work is now two months behind due to the business of building. He enjoys working with people. Have you driven by and seen all the flowers in his back yard.? People from Pleasantview come to use it for a recreation area. Flowers are his hobby. His wife Leona is a retired nurse and keeps busy with her work. All in all, you can see with visiting with him, he enjoys his work. Thirty-six years working out of his home is an accomplishment.

The Word of the Week is resilient. Here we go - flexible, springing back into a former shape, recovering quickly. To leap back. On a bus trip, our guide often mentioned “Things change, you have to adjust.” So have you been resilient lately?