Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
BY: RACHEL WUMKES
We are getting so close.
Even though snow still covers most of the ground outside, the major up-swing in temps this week has me all sorts of excited. For the return of chirping birds, for green grass, for the trees to sprout buds.
For open water again!
While there are countless outdoor signs that Spring is on the horizon, the community calendar also indicates we’ve survived another North Iowa winter and are moving into the next season.
Speaking of open water, in case you missed it, the Clear Lake Earth Day Facebook Page announced the 3rd Annual Ice Out Contest. Simply post your guesses on their page for the day you think the ice will disappear completely from Clear Lake. The closest guess wins $100 in Chamber Bucks. Be sure to give their page a LIKE and post your guess by March 12th. Only one guess per user, and the official date is determined by the Water Department Superintendent.
And then, because it’s a topic which seems to be on everyone minds when the weather starts to warm up… WHEN IS LARGE ITEM PICK UP DAY?!? I’m sure, just as I have, many of you are accumulating mounds of “stuff” to get rid of this Spring. Thankfully, the 2021 Large Item Pickup has been deemed to begin on Monday, April 26th. It’s the perfect opportunity to dispose of large items that cannot be discarded through weekly garbage service.
Spread the word. Tell your friends, your neighbors, shout it from the rooftops!
Large item pickup coincides with Clear Lake Earth Day festivities. Community Cleanup day will be on Saturday, April 24th. Be sure to register for your favorite Trash Bash cleanup site.
It’s also the perfect time to begin ridding your body of all that winter fluff. What better way to get started than to sign up for the Earth Day 5K/10K race? Scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 17th, the race will begin at 9AM. Runners can register online at www.earthdayclearlake.org
To round out the Earth Day festivities, the ever-popular Green Expo is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 22nd at the Surf Ballroom. A decision will be made closer to the event if it will be held in person, or virtually.
Lastly, Clear Lake Tourism, in conjunction with the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, has announced they will be holding a limited capacity, private, ticketed event for Chamber Members only at the Surf Ballroom on Friday, March 26th for the release of the 2021 award-winning visitor guide, Destination Clear Lake. The evening includes a cooler bag with appetizers, provides tourism updates, you’ll see the premier of the Tourism video produced by Kingland’s Renovo Media Group, and we will unveil the 2021 Visitor Guide cover.
You can also enjoy socially distanced interactive entertainment from Pianopalooza’s Dueling Piano’s! To purchase tickets, please refer to the link that was sent to all Chamber Member’s today!
There you have it, friends, signs of life all around us. I have high hopes for the upcoming months as we continue to be diligent in our efforts to keep our community healthy. After a year of postponements and cancellations, it’s exciting to have things on the calendar in the months ahead!