North Star Housing LLC & Excel Development Group invites everyone to the June 12 Open House and Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association Ribbon Cutting at Shenandoah Senior Villas Apartments 11:30 am, 1401 W Sheridan Avenue. Help us celebrate Shenandoah's new senior housing property. Tour the facility and enjoy refreshments and Snacks Served.

      Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association (SCIA) along with Nishna Productions, Inc. and the Depot Restaurant are organizing the 9^th annual Disability Awareness Walk in Shenandoah June 1^st. This year the route is on Shenandoah’s downtown street scape and around Priest Park.

     Participants are encouraged to register with a signed waiver. Entry forms are available at SCIA, NPI, and the Depot Restaurant. NPI is celebrating 50 years in business this year. Other sponsors for the event are The Fuller Center, El Porton Mexican Grill, and Subway. More sponsors are welcome to contribute. Contact SCIA to contribute monetary donations or in-kind contributions. Items needed are bottled water, hot dogs, buns, chips, cookies, and inexpensive items or gift cards for the door prize drawings.

      The free walk starting at 11 a.m. is for all ages and all abilities and is open to the public. This regional event begins at the Depot Deli 101 Railroad St. Walkers will travel east on Sheridan Avenue downtown street scape to Sycamore St. and head back west on the southside of Sheridan Avenue to Blossom St. heading south behind the Public Library to 5^th Avenue and south again on Elm St. to Priest Park. Gatorade and water will be available at the park. The walkers will travel around the park and head back north on Maple St. to complete the one-mile course back on Sheridan Ave. at the Depot Deli finish.

     The route can accommodate wheelchairs and a golf cart will be available to assist walkers. Volunteers will be needed for walker assistance and to act as crossing guards. Reflective vests will be provided for street crossing guards. Volunteers are also needed to help with set-up and cleanup, pass out beverages at the half-way point and medallions at the finishing line.

     “This is an excellent opportunity for members of the community to interact and engage in a fun way with individuals with disabilities. The hope is to build foundations for friendships,” said NPI Development Specialist Emily Martin.

     The first 50 participants with disabilities to finish the 1-mile walk/ride will receive an event medallion. The after party under the big yellow tent at the Depot will feature a free hot dog lunch, root beer floats donated by the Depot, and music by the band B Side 3. There will be a drawing for door prizes from area businesses.

     B Side 3 band is an acoustic band that plays for the enjoyment of performing live.  They are made of local performers Eric Nelson on guitars, lead, and harmony vocals,

Greg Brower on Keyboards, lead, and harmony; and Phillip Lamb on base guitar and vocals. They also perform many song requests.

     “Everyone from the surrounding area is welcome to participate in this special event,” said SCIA Marketing Director Shelly Warner. “It’s a fun, rewarding afternoon to get outside to enjoy nature, interaction with friends, music, and exercise.”

     All volunteers and sponsors should contact SCIA to sign-up volunteer 712-246-3455, chamber@sciaiowa.com. The registration form can also be viewed at the website www.sciaiowa.com or Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association Facebook page.

The 2024 Shenandoah Garden City Farmers Market open earlier in the season with extended hours in Priest Park, 707 7^th Avenue. May 22 is opening day with new Wednesday hours 2- 5:30 p.m. through October 30.

     The Market is open each Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning 9 a.m. to noon with parking available. Shenandoah Farmers Market is a state certified market which allows vendors to accept WIC coupons. With the extended days and hours, it gives vendors more opportunities to sell products and customers nearly a month more to purchase fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, and plants.

     It is free for vendors to sell at the market in Priest Park, but they must register and sign the Pesticide Affidavit and Waiver of Responsibility before setting up and selling statement ensuring they don’t use pesticides. A copy of the rules for the market and registration forms are available through market manager Mary Lou Woolhoy or at Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association at 619 W Sheridan Avenue.

     Early in the season customers can expect produce like radishes and lettuce, baked goods, Rhubarb, and plant starts. Crafts, baked goods, herbs, honey, Jams and Jellies are always available. In June strawberries, cherries, onions, carrots, and green beans are offered as well as flower bouquets. In July and August tomatoes, sweet corn, and many other vegetables are available. September and October are months for pears, apples, gourds, popcorn, Indian corn, and pumpkins.

     For more information about the Shenandoah Garden City Farmers Market contact market manager Mary Lou Wolhoy at 712-303-0100 and follow the posts on the Facebook page

Attention Shenandoah Businesses and Organizations! Be part of the new 2024 Shenandoah Community Guidebook which will be published this summer in print and online at www.sciaiowa.com. Contact Jennifer at 402-378-0821, Jennifer.johnson@clarindaherald.com to place an ad. Please review the previous edition business directory in the book. Send any updates or changes to your entry to chamber@sciaiowa.com or call 712-246-3455. Only SCIA members are listed in the business directory. New members or returning members after an absence of 3 years receive 25% membership dues this year. If you need a copy of the last book contact SCIA.

      Shenandoah Chamber and Industry Association Ag Committee and Agriculture Future of America join forces each year to support an agricultural scholarship program. Applications are now being accepted online at the website www.agfuture.org under the Community Scholarship tab through March 6, 2023.

     This year the SCIA Ag Committee will award up to two scholarships. AFA matches community funds, now being raised by the SCIA Ag Committee, to offer $4,450 in each scholarship, including $3,200 academic scholarship and $1,250 to cover the AFA Leaders Conference expenses in Kansas City the following November.

     Qualified applicants are Shenandoah, Sidney or Essex high school seniors who will pursue a degree in agriculture or any related field at an accredited college or university. Many majors qualify if they will be applied to the agriculture industry, such as…business, chemistry, horticulture, animal science, education, computer science etc.

    The application process also includes an essay sharing the applicant’s personal vision for agriculture and why their interest in an agricultural career. An interview will be conducted soon after March 6th at the SCIA office, 619 W. Sheridan Avenue. Applications must be posted online by March 6th so they can set up interview times. The link to the application is http://www.agfuture.org then click on the community partner scholarship.

    The goal of the AFA Scholarship is to identify students with strong potential. Students are also scored on community service and citizenship, activities, work experience, family need, references, grade point (3.0 and above) and student rank. The Essay has the greatest weight in scoring applicants.

    The Scholarship winners will be announced at the SCIA Annual Meeting and Ag Banquet to be held later this summer. SCIA Ag Committee members are now gathering donations for the Agriculture Future of America scholarship. Agriculture Future of America Foundation provides $2,000 to match $2,450 raised locally for each scholarship. Businesses and individuals that wish to contribute should contact SCIA at 246-3455, chamber@sciaiowa.com or drop off a check. Checks should be made to Greater Shenandoah Foundation.