Sac City Kiwanis

02/09/2026

08/02/2024

City Update to the Kiwanis

Sac City Administrator, Jamie Lawrence, was the speaker at the July 15 meeting of the Kiwanis. Lawrence, both the City Administrator and a Kiwanis member, spoke about several ongoing projects around the city and reported on their progress.

Road repairs in Sac City and crack sealing are continual projects throughout the city. New software helps track the schedule of street maintenance and resealing concrete streets that is done every 10 years. Lawrence encourages community engagement to get areas of streets concerns identified.

Housing opportunities were discussed, including the area across from the golf course and lots from demolished buildings. The 13 lots available in the new housing addition have some requirements. The house must be started within a year of purchase and must be completed within 18 months. Lots of demolished homes may be purchased, but some are limited by lot size and may be a better choice for an adjoining neighbor.

The proposed bike trail within Sac City and attaching to Hagge Park and Lake View was also discussed. A Federal Recreational Grant that will pay up to 80 percent of the cost will be applied for. Lawrence handed out maps with future plans for the bike and walking trail within the city with an option for a spur from Hagge Park and trail continuing to Lake View. Phase I would start at the Sac Fair Grounds and end at the western edge of Sac City.

Lawrence touched on other topics of improvement and interest within the city. Community input is welcomed on these projects and areas of concern at any time.

If you are interested in attending or joining the Sac Kiwanis, please contact Chip Colburn, their membership chairman, or other Kiwanis members. Each meeting includes a speaker with timely and interesting topics and a meal. The meetings are held the first and third Monday of the month at the Sac Rec Center at noon. The Kiwanis are a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of children.

02/01/2024

Mark your calendars, it's coming!

01/22/2024

Board Meeting Minutes

The Kiwanis Club of Sac City held its monthly board meeting at the Rosie’s Coffee Shop on December 21, 2023. The meeting was called to order by President Tom Lownik at 12:15 PM with board members President Elect Leslie Johnson, Treasurer Linda Olson, Terry Striegel, Steve Spotts, and Lance Jenkins in attendance.

A motion was made by Terry and seconded by Lance to approve the meeting agenda as presented. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Terry and seconded by Lance to approve the minutes of the December 21, 2023 board meeting as presented. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Terry and seconded by Lance to approve the December 31, 2023 treasurer’s report as presented. Motion carried.

Correspondence received included: Letter from Sac County Fair Board announcing a meeting for 2024 Sac County Fair vendors to be held on Tuesday, February 6 at 7:00 PM at the 4-H building.

I. Old Business

A. Tom had sent out an email notifying the members that the board had voted to amend the Sac Kiwanis bylaws from requiring 6 directors to 5. While preparing the email, he learned that Kiwanis International bylaws state “3 or more directors.” He proposed that instead of changing our bylaws from 6 to 5, we change it to match Kiwanis International. Terry made a motion to do just that, it was seconded by Linda. Motion carried. Tom will send a new email to all members that the new bylaw amendment will state “3 or more directors.”

II. New Business

A. Pancake Day on February 13, 2024 – Steve Spotts is taking the lead on organizing Pancake Day. It was decided to maintain prices at $8 for adults and $3 for those 8 and under. Steve will work with Teresa Wirtjers to set up the Loring order , will reserve the VFW, and will coordinate with Dale Wegner on printing tickets and placing an ad in the newspaper. A signup sheet was circulated at the meeting, and will be emailed to all members. It will also be brought to the February 5 meeting.

III. Membership/Club Updates

A. Leslie Johnson presented a New Member Information Form for Wendy Hereid. Steve made a motion to admit Wendy as a member. Lance seconded, and the motion passed.

IV. The next club meetings are scheduled for February 5, 2024. The next board meeting is scheduled for February 15, 2024.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 PM.
Arnie Thomas, Secretary

01/02/2024

East Sac Snack Pantry

Sarah Davey and Kim Shook from the East Sac School Snack Pantry spoke to the Sac Kiwanis Club on December 18th. Teachers had been asking parents to help with daytime snacks. With teachers already filling in on many supplies, Davey spearheaded the creation of the East Sac Snack Pantry. Shook has begun to help Davey with the project.

Davey first talked with Elementary Principal Becky Halbur about creating the Pantry that feeds the K through 6 students one snack a day. Since there are currently no programs to cover the cost of snacks, Davey went to local businesses and people for donations.
Cost for snacks is between $250 to $300 each week. Davey works with the school nutrition team and has taken a course on nutrition that includes considering special needs and allergies of students. Each class gets a snack tote that fits the specifications of their class. The totes are delivered by sixth grade students.

Davey has created a page with more information and a Wish List on the Snack Pantry. Monetary donations are handled in house by the school. Many groups, churches, businesses, and individuals have already donated, but more donations are always needed. Feedback has been positive, and the Snack Pantry was featured on KTIV the day Davey and Shook gave their presentation to the Kiwanis.

If you are interested in attending or joining the Sac Kiwanis, please contact Chip Colburn, their membership chairman, or other Kiwanis members. Each meeting includes a speaker with timely and interesting topics and a meal. The meetings are held the first and third Monday of the month at the Sac Rec Center at noon. The Kiwanis are a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of children.

11/30/2023

Alex Baruth, Security Officer and head of the Fraud Department at United Bank of Iowa from Ida Grove, was the guest speaker at the November 20 meeting of the Sac Kiwanis. The program emphasized that no matter the age, everyone is a target of fraud.

During the program, Baruth stated that the FTC reports over nine billion dollars of fraud losses each year. Many are embarrassed and don’t report fraud. Younger people are more often victims of fraud, but older people have higher values lost.

Baruth touched on four different kinds of fraud. Synthetic ID Fraud is most common in children and the elderly who have their identities stolen. A way to prevent this is to freeze your credit. The second type is Check Fraud which is on the rise. Someone often steals a check from trash or the mail. A way to prevent this is to pay bills online.

Impersonation is the third type of fraud. This is when you receive phone calls or emails that misrepresent the identity of the caller. It can be a fake distress call from a relative or a charity that does not exist. The fourth type is Online Fraud where someone compromises an account. Don’t share passwords or click on unfamiliar links to help prevent this type of fraud.

Baruth says the solution to all types of fraud is to slow down and verify before you react. Monitoring accounts is critical and call your actual bank and talk to someone in person if you have concerns. Remember that gift cards are only for gifts-no one should ask for a gift card in lieu of payment. And remember that if something seems too good to be true-it probably is.

If you are interested in attending or joining a Sac Kiwanis meeting, please contact Chip Colburn, their membership chairman, or other Kiwanis members. Each meeting includes a speaker with timely and interesting topics and a meal. The meetings are held the first and third Monday of the month at the Sac Rec Center at noon. The Kiwanis are a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of children.

10/19/2023

Board Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2023.

The Kiwanis Club of Sac City held its monthly board meeting at the Rosie’s Coffee Shop on Thursday, October 19, 2023. The meeting was called to order by President Tom Lownik, at 12:15 PM with board members Past President Lance Jenkins, Treasurer Linda Olson, Secretary Arnie Thomas, Terry Striegel, Dale Wegner, Teresa Wirtjers, and Steve Spotts in attendance.

A motion was made by Lance and seconded by Dale to approve the meeting agenda as amended. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Dale and seconded by Lance to approve the minutes of the September 21, 2023 board meeting as presented. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Arnie and seconded by Terry to approve the September 30, 2023 treasurer’s report as presented. Motion carried.

Correspondence received included: None

Project Updates

Potato Bake Fundraiser: Preliminary results show the fundraiser was a success with a net profit of approximately $600 which is a slight increase from 2022. A few decreases in amounts to order will be made in 2024.

Helping at the Wa-Tan-Ye soup supper was discussed. No announcement of the date has been received.

Old Business

Discussion: A proposed amendment to the club By-Laws was discussed to remove specifics on dues, fees, assessments, and meal costs in Club Policies Section A along with wording clarifications in Club Policies Section B. The intent of these proposed changes will eliminate the need for formal By-Laws amendments in the future for changes to dues, fees, assessments and meal costs as well as clarifying the members in good standing protocols. After the approval of the club membership the amendment will be submitted to Kiwanis International for approval.

A motion was made by Steve and seconded by Terry to recommend the proposed amendment to the club membership for approval of 2/3rd of the Kiwanis members in attendance at a meeting following the required two week advanced notice. Motion carried.

Discussion: Steve Jacobson submitted his membership resignation.

A motion was made by Steve and seconded by Lance to accept the resignation with regret. Motion carried.

New Business

Discussion: The Sac Community Center’s 100 Year Anniversary Revitalization Project, Phase 2 was discussed. This phase includes improvements to the conference room where we meet for club meetings as well as additional improvements to the gym.

A motion was made by Lance and seconded by Terry to donate $500 for Phase 2 of the planned project. Motion carried.

Discussion: The club budget for the 2023-2024 year was discussed. Multiple changes were discussed to reflect changing conditions and activities.

A motion was made by Dale and seconded by Steve to approve the proposed budget as amended. Motion carried.

Discussion: The proposed purchase of equipment needed to operate the Sac County Fair Kiwanis food stand in the future without borrowing equipment was discussed. The significant modifications made to the Sac County Fair food stand menu in 2023 required the Kiwanis to borrow equipment from other entities including the Sac Community Center and Iowa State Bank. Significant discussion was held regarding where to safely store the equipment between uses at the food stand. Funds for these purchases would come from the service account funds.

A motion was made by Steve and seconded by Arnie to approve the proposed purchase of the equipment with a cost around $1,400. Motion carried.

Other Topics

Names of several potential Kiwanis members were discussed.

A discussion ensued regarding the old organ that has been stored in the Sac Community Center for decades and has been unused. It was concluded that the organ likely has no market value. Arnie will pull the organ out of storage and determine its condition and what disposal options are available.

The next club meetings are scheduled for November 6 and November 20.

The next board meeting is scheduled for November 16
The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 PM.
Arnie Thomas, Secretary

10/15/2023

Join us for lunch today, our annual Potato Bake! Serving at the Unity Church (former Presbyterian Church) from 11 - 12:30.

05/25/2023

The Sac City Kiwanis did their annual bike safety presentation to the East Sac County 1st graders on Wednesday, May 24. The kids watched a classic safety video to learn about safe bicycle riding practices. Kiwanis member Jamie Lawrence gave them a demonstration on how a helmet protects their head. Kiwanis member Dale Wegner reminded the children about using their hand signals. Sac City Police Officer Lane Snyder gave them tips on how to ride safely on streets and sidewalks. Each of the 1st graders received a brand new bicycle helmet.

05/15/2023

Lance Wilhelm, guest speaker at the May 1st Kiwanis Meeting, talked about the future of a trail from Sac City to Lake View. The first leg of the biking, walking, horseback riding and snow mobile trail would run from Sac City to Hagge Park ultimately connecting with Lake View.

Wilhlem explained that Sac City is not the only town interested in connecting with Lake View. Groups from Auburn and Wall Lake think recreational trails connecting the county would enhance economics and positive lifestyles.

The Sauk Trail group has been contacting landowners for either purchases or easements to facilitate a trail from Sac City to Hagge Park. Other options may include using ditches with appropriate drainage. Not only would the trail enhance additional use but would increase safety for bicyclists and walkers by moving them off the highway.

Federal grants are being investigated that will require a possible 10 to 20 percent match. By working as a bigger region and adding the interest of surrounding towns, the committee hopes to strengthen the trail application for grants. The Okoboji area has already been expanding their bike trails south and the future may ultimately have a trail running from Des Moines to the Iowa northern border.

If you are interested in attending or joining a Sac Kiwanis meeting, please contact Chip Colburn, their membership chairman, or other Kiwanis members. Each meeting includes a speaker with timely and interesting topics and a meal. The meetings are held the first and third Monday of the month at the Sac Rec Center at noon. The Kiwanis are a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of children.

05/11/2023

Congratulations to our 2023 scholarship winners: Taylor Acklin and Mary Bontrager.

04/16/2023

Precision Personalized Medicine Speaker

Kiwanis member, Katherine Richardson, spoke on her background in Precision Personalized Medicine at the April 3rd Kiwanis Meeting. Richardson, a graduate of MIT and Iowa State University, talked about her family and her background in cancer research and DNA mutations.

Often teaming with her husband, Frank, Richardson worked in Indiana at Eli Lilly and then moved to Boulder, Colorado. Eventually, they moved back to Frank’s home area of Sac City and now live in Lake View.

Richardson’s specialty was virology and DNA mutations that lead identifying the efficacy of treatments, management, and outcomes in certain cancers. She noted that each cell in the body has about 6.6 feet of DNA and walked the group through an interesting power point presentation showing how precision personalized medicine can relate to everyone.

Although one specific area of Richardson’s study researched small cell lung cancer, she emphasized that ultimately widespread Precision Personalized Medicine treatment will be made specifically for individual patients that will use their own DNA & RNA sequencing for treatment. That is where the future is leading us.

If you are interested in attending or joining a Sac Kiwanis meeting, please contact Chip Colburn, their membership chairman, or other Kiwanis members. Each meeting includes a speaker with timely and interesting topics and a meal. The Kiwanis are a non-profit group dedicated to improving the lives of children.