Tower Notes: Almost Home – community poem

Tower Notes: Almost Home is the community poem written for the 50th Anniversary of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. Poet and sculptor David Williamson facilitated the creation of this poem with the Tower View Team as they gathered memories throughout the summer of 2016. A group of 17 people worked with David to choose phrases and ideas from the many entries.

David read the poem for the first time at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Mahanay Bell Tower on October 16, 2016. Listen as he reads the poem aloud.

Calendar

	January 2026
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
			1 New Year's Eve Party New Year's Eve Party December 31, 2025 6:00 pm - January 1, 2026 12:00 am The Courtyard Wedding & Events Jefferson, 214 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA 🎉 Ring in the New Year at The Courtyard 🎉 214 E. State Street • Jefferson, IA 50129 ✨ Join us for an unforgettable New Year’s Eve Celebration filled with great food, DJ & live music, and sparkling memories! ✨ Saturday, December 31st \| Doors Open at 6:00 PM for Cocktails $35 per person Your evening includes: 🍽️ A beautifully catered dinner featuring: Brisket • Chicken • Cheesy Potatoes • Green Beans • Taco Salad • Pasta Salad • Oreo Fluff 🎶 Live Entertainment by Kenni Falls 💃 Followed by a lively DJ dance party to keep the celebration going! 🥂 Midnight Champagne Toast — our treat! Come toast to new beginnings in style and enjoy a warm, festive atmosphere at The Courtyard. Seating is limited — reserve your spot today!! 515-370-2292 https://square.link/u/HRIJ4Fb5?src=sheet See more details New Year's Day Buffett New Year's Day Buffett January 1, 2026 Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino, 777 Wild Rose Rd, Jefferson, IA 50129 Lucky's New Year's Buffet See more details • •	2	3	4
5	6 Studio Tuesday @ Elliott Art Studio Studio Tuesday @ Elliott Art Studio January 6, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Elliott Art Studio, 113 S Chestnut St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details •	7	8 Songwriting Class Songwriting Class January 8, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Elliott Art Studio, 113 S Chestnut St, Jefferson, IA 50129 See more details Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino January 8, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Lucky's Sports Grill, 777 Wild Rose Rd, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA 🧠✨ Trivia Night Thursdays! ✨🧠 Put your knowledge to the test with Woody’s Trivia, every Thursday from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Teams are organized by table, so just grab a seat and join the fun! 🍗 Thursday Night Specials: – 75¢ bone-in wings – $4 tall boys 🍺 The perfect mix of food, drinks, and friendly competition — see you Thursday! 🙌 See more details • •	9	10 Cocoa and Canvas Workshop Cocoa and Canvas Workshop January 10, 2026 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Jefferson Public Library, 200 W Lincoln Way, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details Live Online Plant Sale Live Online Plant Sale January 10, 2026 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Facebook See more details • •	11
12 Snow Spectacular Stem Station Snow Spectacular Stem Station January 12, 2026 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Jefferson Public Library, 200 W Lincoln Way, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details Greene County Community Theatre Auditions Greene County Community Theatre Auditions January 12, 2026 6:30 pm - January 13, 2026 8:00 pm Masonic Temple, 120 N Wilson Ave, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details • •	13 Greene County Community Theatre Auditions Greene County Community Theatre Auditions January 12, 2026 6:30 pm - January 13, 2026 8:00 pm Masonic Temple, 120 N Wilson Ave, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details •	14 Ink Society Writing Club Ink Society Writing Club January 14, 2026 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Jefferson Public Library, 200 W Lincoln Way, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details •	15 Making it Ugly: Bad Art Class Making it Ugly: Bad Art Class January 15, 2026 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Jefferson Public Library, 200 W Lincoln Way, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details Collaging Workshop Collaging Workshop January 15, 2026 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Warm Wishes, 200 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino January 15, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Lucky's Sports Grill, 777 Wild Rose Rd, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA 🧠✨ Trivia Night Thursdays! ✨🧠 Put your knowledge to the test with Woody’s Trivia, every Thursday from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Teams are organized by table, so just grab a seat and join the fun! 🍗 Thursday Night Specials: – 75¢ bone-in wings – $4 tall boys 🍺 The perfect mix of food, drinks, and friendly competition — see you Thursday! 🙌 See more details • • •	16 Kenni Falls @ The Courtyard Kenni Falls @ The Courtyard January 16, 2026 The Courtyard Wedding & Events Jefferson, 214 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA Join us for an unforgettable night of music and inspiration with Kenni Falls, a remarkable solo artist whose voice carries both the weight of her journey and the light of her resilience. Having faced and overcome life-changing challenges, Kenni has transformed her experiences into soul-stirring melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Her music isn’t just heard — it’s felt — touching hearts, lifting spirits, and reminding us all of the power of perseverance and hope. Come be inspired by songs that celebrate strength, healing, and the beauty of rising again. Call /txt ahead to reserve tables 515-370-2292 See more details •	17	18 Lasagna Meal Fundraiser Lasagna Meal Fundraiser January 18, 2026 11:00 am - 12:30 pm First United Methodist Church See more details Picker's Circle Picker's Circle January 18, 2026 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm The Courtyard Wedding & Events Jefferson, 214 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA Gather ’round at Pickers Circle. Acoustic strings, heartfelt vocals, and a community that feels like home. Share a song, teach a riff, or just soak in the sound. Everyone’s welcome here!!! Feel free to bring a snack to share!! Whether you’re here to watch the game, enjoy a cocktail in a cozy atmosphere or want to join in or just listen to the Pickers Circle!! everyone is welcome!! See more details • •
19	20	21	22 Charcuterie Board Class Charcuterie Board Class January 22, 2026 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm The Courtyard Wedding & Events Jefferson, 214 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA Grab your friends and family and join us at The Courtyard Wedding & Event Center! Choose your design to create a customized, wood burned Charcuterie Board. You will also get to choose your stain color. Cost of this class is $65 and includes all supplies to make an 8"x20" sealed board. To register, use the ticket link, and then text Jolene at 515-370-2824 to discuss and pick your design https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jolenepeters.com%2Fstore%2Fp147%2FJanuary_22%252C_2026-Charcuterie_Board-The_Courtyard_%2526_Events_Center%252C_Jefferson%252C_IA.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExcmF6MEExUlhhOTZmaUw0SXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7gEMb053y-FH1EtFVximed01kP-RlF3vPoHvynSZ--v0mk2Kt-BDg9X6JdIw_aem_7LPXp7I0Pd5yhoAZR6QdTA&h=AT2xfstQiDWgWHwcMTBdk0rOnGqJlY-gbm3556E4G_1QVnMss5KuW7MLBnknkC_IuqPqR2euViC7PgVS6aqv6Iez2KM6r6apnK73nqRKF6580zrCsIY0zjd36cIyCKNz7tCayw See more details Greene County Reads: An Evening with Author Heather Gudenkauf Greene County Reads: An Evening with Author Heather Gudenkauf January 22, 2026 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Jefferson Public Library, 200 W Lincoln Way, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA Please contact any library in Greene County for more information. See more details Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino January 22, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Lucky's Sports Grill, 777 Wild Rose Rd, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA 🧠✨ Trivia Night Thursdays! ✨🧠 Put your knowledge to the test with Woody’s Trivia, every Thursday from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Teams are organized by table, so just grab a seat and join the fun! 🍗 Thursday Night Specials: – 75¢ bone-in wings – $4 tall boys 🍺 The perfect mix of food, drinks, and friendly competition — see you Thursday! 🙌 See more details • • •	23 Java & Juice at Highland Medical Java & Juice at Highland Medical January 23, 2026 9:30 am - 10:00 am See more details •	24 Ink Society Writing Club Ink Society Writing Club January 24, 2026 10:00 am - 11:30 am Jefferson Public Library, 200 W Lincoln Way, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details Watercolor Workshop Watercolor Workshop January 24, 2026 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Warm Wishes, 200 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA Join Hello Neighbor Art for this fun watercolor workshop. We will use a watercolor workbook and watercolor paints to practice brush strokes, color mixing, and water control. These steps will give you the tools you need to begin painting in your workbook during the workshop and beyond! Participants have a choice of watercolor book; please select one option when registering. Registration covers the purchase of the watercolor workbook, watercolor paints, and the class/instruction. Workshops are nonrefundable unless the class is cancelled by the instructor See more details Brian Congdon in Concert Brian Congdon in Concert January 24, 2026 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm The Courtyard Wedding and Events, 214 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129 https://www.facebook.com/events/1309918743758703?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22home%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D See more details • • •	25
26	27	28 Candle Making and Macrame Workshop Candle Making and Macrame Workshop January 28, 2026 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Warm Wishes, 200 E State St, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details •	29 Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino Trivia @ Lucky's @ Wild Rose Casino January 29, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Lucky's Sports Grill, 777 Wild Rose Rd, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA 🧠✨ Trivia Night Thursdays! ✨🧠 Put your knowledge to the test with Woody’s Trivia, every Thursday from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Teams are organized by table, so just grab a seat and join the fun! 🍗 Thursday Night Specials: – 75¢ bone-in wings – $4 tall boys 🍺 The perfect mix of food, drinks, and friendly competition — see you Thursday! 🙌 See more details •	30 Art Exhibition: Tony Sims and Middle of Nowhere Studios Art Exhibition: Tony Sims and Middle of Nowhere Studios January 30, 2026 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Art of Aries Studios, 112 S Wilson Ave, Jefferson, IA 50129, USA See more details •	31 Blackout Poetry Meets Mixed Media Blackout Poetry Meets Mixed Media January 31, 2026 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm 116 N. Wilson, Suite A, Jefferson, IA In this workshop, you will discover the magic of transforming everyday book pages into artwork that speaks from the soul. Abby & Jolene have collaborated to bring you a 2 part workshop. We will be exploring black out poetry where hidden phrases are uncovered revealing your own poetic voice. Then we will use this to collage onto a canvas or journal cover using other papers and mediums. No prior experience in writing, poetry or art needed. This is a class all about freedom, discovery and joyful mess making. The cost for this class is $40 and includes all supplies. To register, use the ticket link provided. If you have questions, reach out to Jolene at 515-370-2824. Everyone is Welcome to join us! See more details •

Calendar

January 2026

Main Street Friends