Here’s to all who made it one great July

July is historically the hottest month of the year here in Chickasaw County, but it wasn’t only the temperatures that made it a sizzling month around here this year.Instead, the people who do so much to make this a great place to live, work and play came through yet again, and as we do every month, we salute those who go that extra mile for the rest of us.So without further ado ...A tip of the hat ...To Brett and Lavonne Ohm and their Fredericksburg business, New Horizons Flower Pots, for being featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Made by Destruction” program. And we learned that old tires, plastics and yes, even discarded cigarette butts, can be reused in almost everything.A tip of the hat ...To the public libraries of Chickasaw County for giving our kids great summer reading programs. Not only did our children get “Ready, Set and Read” but they also had a chance to take part in a variety of fun, educational special events put on by our area libraries.A tip of the hat ...To Nashua-Plainfield High School teacher Suzy Turner and student Caleb Lines for being selected to participate in the Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom Albert H. Small Student and Teacher Institute” this summer. They conducted hours of research on their “silent hero,” who died during the invasion of France in 1944 and delivered a moving eulogy to Ervin Westendorf at the Normandy American Cemetery.A tip of the hat ...To the New Hampton baseball team for a truly historic season in which they won their second straight outright Northeast Iowa Conference championship, set a school record with 29 wins and had all nine starters named to all-conference teams. We know you wanted more, but our hope is that this group of Chickasaws can look back and remember all the good that happened in the summer of 2016.A tip of the hat ...To the New Hampton softball team for a rousing finish to a season that, at times, was filled with struggles. At one point, the Chickasaws lost 11 straight games but rebounded to win nine of 10 games before falling to eventual state champion Benton in the regional final. That kind of perseverance will carry this group of Chickasaws far in life.A tip of the hat ...To the volunteer spirit of Northeast Iowa. We’ve had plenty of storms that have caused quite a bit of damage in our area, and what impresses us the most is the number of neighbors, friends and even strangers who are willing to step up and help families in need.A tip of the hat ...To the organizers of the Plum Creek Art Festival for once again bringing art to the forefront during the annual event that is held in Fredericksburg each July.A tip of the hat ...To Jim and Julie Eckenrod and Gordan and Melanie Davis for once again bringing their unique event, the Kenwood Avenue Nationals to the grounds of the New Hampton Municipal Airport.A tip of the hat ...To the Chickasaw County 4-H and FFA Achievement Show for putting the spotlight solely on the kids of our area. It’s gratifying to see the work kids put into their projects — whether it be livestock or “static” ones like clothing, foods and photos. And congratulations to Sumner-Fredericksburg’s Allison Wehling, who was named Chickasaw County Fair queen and will represent us at the Iowa State Fair that kicks off next week in Des Moines.A tip of the hat ...To Great Plays Daycare board members, staff and children who recently presented gift bags to those who serve with the New Hampton Police Department and the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office. These are trying times in our nation for those who “protect and serve” and it’s nice to see that our young people do care about our law enforcement officers.A tip of the hat ...... and welcome to Father Brian Dellaert who took over as the parish priest for Catholic churches in New Hampton, Ionia and North Washington. He’s had an interesting career, if you will, so far as he attended seminary in Rome and spent the past three years doing further study on canon law at the Vatican, but he’s excited to return to what he loves most — serving parishes.A tip of the hat ...To Sweet Freedom Gluten Free Bakery and its owner, Chantal Papousek who has grown her business by leaps and bounds in just two years. And congratulations and best of luck to Papousek for being selected as a semifinalist in ADM’s Midwest Food Innovation Challenge.A tip of the hat ...To State Bank for supporting a worthy cause like the proposed TRIBE Bike Trail with its “Cookin’ for a Cause” event that was held earlier this month.A tip of the hat ...To the Chickasaw County Farm Bureau for hosting another successful annual meeting that included a keynote address by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey.A tip of the hat ...To Big Ed’s Firehouse Restaurant owner Brian Laures and the Beach Bash to End Alzheimer’s Committee for all the work they do to raise money so  that we can stamp out this terrible disease.A tip of the hat ...To the lifeguards who man their posts at both the New Hampton Municipal Pool and the Fredericksburg Municipal Pool. Let’s face it, they have a tough job at times corralling kids who sometimes just don’t want to listen but we appreciate all your hard work and keeping our children safe.