Russell History - the book

Ooops!  We've fallen behind in keeping you in touch with how the Russell history book is progressing.  It is coming together slowly.  We have received many wonderful stories from all of you.  Now we're coordinating what you have sent us with what we have here in the museum that needs to be included to make the book as complete as possible.  It will have to be proofread and indexed, of course, but we hope to have all that done in time for sale at Fall Festival.  What will the price be?  That has yet to be determined and will depend largely on how large the book ends up being.  We will try to keep you better informed in the future.  Thanks for your patience.

Fried Chicken Dinner - Fund Raiser

Sunday, July 17, 11:30-1 pm, the Russell Historical Society is putting on a Fried Chicken Dinner with all the trimmings to help them raise funds for completing the new addition on their building.  If you remember these dinners in the past, they are delicious with generous proportions.  This is a good way to spend your afternoon after church, so we will see you there.

High Winds Take out 100 Year Old Tree

Todd McCombs had gone outside his Russell home around 1a.m. Monday, June 18, to move one of his two cars because it was near a 100-year-old oak tree and he feared branches of the tree might come down on the car.  He had just moved it when he heard what he thought was a train and then heard the massive tree tumble onto the northwest corner of his house and smash the back window of another car.  "The sound I heard had to have been a tornado overhead," he said.  Friends and neighbors were out Monday cutting the tree off his house.  Dozens of trees in Russell were damaged and several cars had trees and branches fall on them.  Tree damage was also visible along Highway 34 in both directions from the Russell turn-off.

Russell Community Club - Fall Festival and Camping

Does the community wish to have a Fall Festival this year?  If you are interested in making this possible, join us at the Russell Community Building for a meeting and a meal at 5:30pm on Thursday July 21.

Did you enjoy Fall Festival in Russell last September?  Was there something missing?  Now is your chance to let the Community Club know what you would like to have at Fall Festival and to get involved.

To be involved in Community Club or Fall Festival you do not need to have any special talents.  The only thing that we ask is that you are willing to share your ideas and time to help better the community.  We would like to make Fall Festival bigger and better, but we need more help.

The Community Club is also working on making a camping area down by the football field.  The Club has invited the Russell Firemen to park their campers at the new campground the weekend beginning on July 22nd at no charge.  The Club wishes to determine how well the old athletic field can handle the water and power needs for a group of campers.

Reminder Concerning Garbage Disposal

Two 30 gallon bags of garbage fills one 60 gallon brown container.  This is what each resident is allowed per week to be picked up.  Baird has reported that Russell residents are setting out more than the allotted amount of garbage each week.  If you are going  to have more than the allowable 60 gallons of garbage, you need to call Baird Sanitation (862-3734) to make arrangements to pay an additional fee.

The Jerry Wells Cabin

Have you seen the story about the Jerry Wells Cabin that is posted on the Lucas County Genealogical Society Blog?  You might enjoy it.  Take a look at it:  (click on the following link):  The Jerry Wells Cabin

Russell Blood Drive

Russell Community Club Blood Drive will be on Monday, July 18, from 3-7pm.  Please call 800-452-1097 for an appointment.

Yard of the Month - July

Joe and Kelly Gookin have a beautiful yard in Russell and consequently they won the Russell Yard of the Month for July.  The grass and the flowers look like a professional gardener has designed and manicured them.  Beautiful colors are arranged around the base of the house, with purple Clematis Plants climbing up the wooden porch on the east side.  You can see this display at 201 W. Ames St. in Russell, next door to last month's winners, Ron and Robin Thompson.

We had a terrible storm come through our area a couple of weeks ago and it is good to see so many of our neighbors and friends out cleaning up the broken tree branches and the damage done by this storm.  Russell residents are proud of their little town and have shown it by working hard on their yards.

SHARE Sign-Up

The month of July SHARE sign-up will be July 5 from 1-4pm at the Russell Historical Society Museum/Library building and pickup will be July 23rd. Save 50% on your groceries.  There are many different packages to choose from; Meat, lunch meat, fruits and vegetables, frozen strawberries and much more.  Stop by the museum and look at the list or check the newspaper on Tuesday the  5th.

New Business in Town! Welcome Whiskey Dick's Roadhouse

Russell welcomes a new business in town where the Pub used to be on Prairie Street near the railroad track.  Check it out. 

Thanks to the Russell Reivers

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The Russell Reivers 4-H Club recently landscaped around the Russell Cemetery sign as a 4-H Community Service project.  The club planned and budgeted for the project at their club meetings and then purchased the bricks, flowers and solar lights.  With the help of the 4-H club members, parents and leaders, they leveled and laid the landscaping bricks, filled in with dirt, and planted the flowers (knock-out roses, hostas, lilies, and creeping phlox).  They then applied the mulch and solar lights.  The project was complete in time for Memorial Day.

The Russel Cemetery Association was very pleased with the finished project and would like to thank the Russell Reivers 4-H Club, parents and leaders for all their hard work and expense for this wonderful project. 

If you weren't out to the cemetery around the Memorial Day Weekend, you might want to drive out and enter the cemetery at the top of the hill and enjoy the beautiful results of their hard work.

Russell's June Yard of the Month

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The first yard to be chosen this summer is Ron and Robin Thompson's at 312 W. Ames St.  You don't always need flowers to make a yard look nice.  The clean-cut look of finely trimmed bushes and a lawn that is well manicured can make a yard stand out.  This is why the Wayside Garden Club in Russell has chosen this yard as it's June Yard of the Month.

If you are in Russell looking at the Thompson home, you might enjoy driving by the Lowell Sims home on Ames St..  He has been planting beautiful roses across the front of his house for a couple of years now and the result is beautiful.  The roses again weathered the very cold winter and abundant blooms are all over the rose bushes.

Special Thank You

What a surprise the residents of the Russell Development apartments had when they stepped out and found a potted tomato plant sitting on their doorstep.  We all want to thank the Horizon Club for this thoughtful gesture.  The plants are all growing and doing well in their five gallon pots.

Vacation Bible School in Russell

June 20-24, 6-8pm, Russell Faith United Methodist Vacation Bible School will be meeting.  The theme is "Shake It Up Cafe: Where Kids Carry Out God's Recipe."  On Friday night there will be a concluding program in the Sanctuary at 7:30pm - public invited.  We are encouraging the children to bring non-perishable food items for the food pantry operated by the Inter-church Council in Chariton.  Snacks will be served to the children Monday through Thursday, with a meal on Friday.  We will have classes for pre-school (age 4) through 6th grade.

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SHARE Sign up

The month of June SHARE sign-up will be June 7 from 1-4pm at the Russell Historical Society Museum/Library building and pickup will be June 25th. Save 50% on your groceries.  There are many different packages to choose from; Meat, lunch meat, fruits and vegetables, frozen strawberries and much more.  Stop by the museum and look at the list or check the newspaper on Tuesday the  7th.

Russell Sportsmen's Club

Saturday, June 11 from 10:00am to 1:00pm, a Permit-to-Carry class will be held at the Chariton Public Library.  Pre-registration is required.  The class is sponsored by this club.  call 641-203-5296 to register.

There will be another trap shoot on June 12.  All events now through the summer months will be held evenings at 7pm to avoid the heat of the day.

Russell Sportsmen's Club offers its facilities to church youth groups, Scouts, or other organized youth groups for supervised recreational shooting sports activities.  The Club has certified coaches and experienced mentors willing to help conduct youth group outings.

Activities begin with safety fundamentals and continue to discipline-specific instruction and target shooting.  

Russell Sportsmen's Club range is located five miles southwest of Russell, 41570 280th Ave.  The Club has a rifle range and a shotgun range and offers instruction in either discipline.  Outings may be scheduled during spring, summer or fall, contact Dan Morrett at 641-203-5296.

The public is invited to all events and youth are welcome. 

Saturday June 26, 7pm Russell Sportsmens Club, Center-fire pistol.

Russell Veterans Memorial Service

Written by Marilyn Yoakum

    A group of Veterans from the American Legion Post 108 and loyal citizens gathered on Friday, May 27, in a beautifully decorated cemetery to memorialize the efforts of many Veterans and to establish the Circle of Honor to all Veterans who served the wars.

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     The Circle of Honor includes a plaque for each of five wars: Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, and Vietnam Conflict. They are meant to honor all veterans who served the wars as memorials of their service.

   

     Bob McCurdy, the Legion Post Commander led the service, along with Veterans Don Sellers, Jim Werts, Ervin Burton and Roy Mathias in remembering all military personnel and loved ones.  The group was urged to pray for the safety of troops, our nation, its people and peace.  "Prayers are the most powerful assets we have."

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     The American Legion and the Auxiliary put up the Avenue of Flags three times a year. They also put small flags on all burial sites of Veterans.

   

     It takes a mindful America to help its citizenry remember the price some of our citizen's pay for freedom at this time of year.

    Please take time to check out the cemetery while the flags are still flying.

   

Memorial to Private Lyle Shelton

A Veterans Day Memorial appears in the  "Russell People Blog Page 5 Selection to the far right on this blog.  Or click on the following link:  Veterans Remembered .  It is dedicated to Private Lyle Shelton and was submitted by Wanda Kells Calderon.

Get-Well

Get-Well wishes go out to Pastor Harris of the Baptist Church who is recovering from heart surgery. 

Horizons Tour

By Karen Werts

On May 10, 2011, Joann and Russ Harris and Karen Werts met a bus load of other Horizon members from Iowa at the Chariton Carpenter's Hall for a day long trip to several towns in Southern Iowa.  The purpose of the trip was to learn what other communities had done in the Horizon's Program.

When everyone gathered at Carpenter's Hall, we had refreshments.  We then learned about Chariton's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program and Russ Harris spoke about the Russell Horizon's group.  We then all boarded the bus for Corydon and there found out about the Housing Trust Fund and visited the Welcome We Help and Iowa Career Access Point.

We boarded the bus once again and left for Leon where we had lunch at From The Ground.  Then we visited the Leon Clothing Consignment Store that was established as a result of Horizons.  Leaving Leon we headed to Humeston.  Our tour began at the Public Library to learn about Humeston's projects and their community owned grocery store, and the Front Street market and other specialty shops.  We enjoyed dessert at the Grassroots Café and then started for home.  While we were on the bus we viewed videos from several Horizon's Groups.  It was a fun filled day and we thought it was very interesting learning about other communities and what Horizons doing. 

Horseshoe Tournament at Russell Community Center

May 21, Saturday at 9:30am there will be a Horseshoe Tournament at the Russell Community Center.  Everyone is welcome.  There is an entry fee.  If anyone is interested in pitching horsehoes on Tuesday nights at 6pm, contact Harold Garner at 641-203-2719.

Open House for Joann Harris

Joann will be celebrating her graduation from Faith Baptist Bible College with an Associate of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies with an open house being held at the Russell Community Center.  Please join her on Saturday, May 7th from 2-4pm, for this special occasion.

Russell Blood Drive

The Russell Blood Drive will be held Thursday, May 19 from 3-7pm at the Russell Community Center, sponsored by the Russell Community Club.  This has been changed due o the building being used by someone else.  Call Deb at 203-0681 or a member of the Community Club with questions.  If you don't have time or know what their schedule is going to be , you can stop in and be worked into the schedule.

Russell Cleanup Day - May 14

The annual Russell Cleanup Day this year will be held on May 14th from 8am to noon.  Dumpsters will be located on West Shaw St.  The cost will be $10 per car or pickup load.  Tires 17" and smaller will be accepted at $5 each.  The City clerk will be there to collect fees and make out receipts.  For large appliances (such as TV's, refrigerators, microwaves, computers, dehumidifiers that use Freon, washers/dryers, copiers, fax machines, etc.) the charge will be $15 per item.  You must come to the City Hall to list the large appliances you wish to dispose of and pay the fee  for those items before May 14.  It will be the individuals responsibility to bring those large appliances to the pickup site.  Direct questions to City Hall 8am - noon, Monday-Friday, 641-535-2494.

Wayside Garden Club will Hold Annual Flower Sale

The Russell Wayside Garden Club will hold it's annual Flower Sale on April 30 (same day as the City wide Garage Sale) starting at 9:00am in front of the Russell Museum/Library.  Be sue to get your spring flowers at this great sale.  This is the only fund raiser the garden club hosts.  The proceeds are used to help promote Russell activities such as Yard of the Month and the Christmas Decoration Awards. 

Russell City Wide Garage Sale

The city wide garage sale will be on Saturday, April 30 from 8-12.  Call Roberta 535-4191 to get your name on the map.  The Museum has space available in the new addition for $5 a table (bring your own table/display.)  The Museum is also accepting donations for their garage/bake sale (proceeds to go towards finishing touches on the inside). 

Russell Firemen Ham Supper

On April 9 from 4:30 - 7p.m. at the Russell Community Building, the Russell Firemen will be holding their annual Ham Supper.  This is a great chance to help out our local fire department by supporting them in this fund raiser.  Without these volunteers our town would be vulnerable to fire and safety.  They are here for us, now it is our turn to be there for them.

The Russell Fire Department is appreciative of the support given to them by the entire community recently at their annual ham supper.  They are much more able to carry out their responsibilities with the support of the community.

Russell News Committee Meeting at the Museum

On April 26th, at 4:30pm the Russell News Committee will hold a meeting at the Museum/Library.  Anyone is welcome to attend and present any news items to the committee.

Faith United Methodist Church

Church Lent and Easter Activities:

A Good Friday service  will be held on 4/22 at 7:00p.m.  We will have our Palm Sunday service on 4/17 and Easter service on 4/24 at the regular 10:30a.m. time.

Easter Church Activities for the Russell Baptist Church

First Baptist Church will hold it's Easter Breakfast from 9:30 to 10:30am Easter Sunday.  The public is invited.  Morning Service "The King is Coming" will begin at 10:45am.  Join us for a great time of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.