Village of Exeter

Friday, December 25, 2020

Merry Christmas

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Exeter-Milligan Update: Art Update

Art Update at Exeter-Milligan

by Lisa Kanode, E-M Art Instructor

Batik is an ancient fabric wax-resist and dye tradition of Java, Indonesia. The origin of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1,500 years ago to Egypt and the Middle East. Samples of batik have also been found in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa from past centuries. Batiks are made using a canting tool. The canting, believed to be a purely Javanese invention, is a small thin wall spouted copper container (sometimes called a wax pen) that is connected to a short bamboo handle.

EM High school art students spent most of November trying their hand at batik making by using a canting tool and melted paraffin and beeswax. We melt the wax in a crockpot and use the drawing tool to follow the lines we have drawn on a posterboard. The lines can be seen through the fabric. Once the resist lines are put on the fabric, we paint in the shapes with colored dye. Another coat of wax is then paintbrushed on the fabric and it is all ironed out into newspaper to leave the rich beautiful color design on the fabric. Some of the students chose to soak their batik into a darker color after the wax is painted on. This technique is called crackling.

The Second grade class has also been working hard to make a batik. They have drawn fish on their fabric and are now painting in the shapes. You can see the student’s artwork on our Artsonia online art gallery at:

https://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=36412.

Pictures of 2nd grade students Anton Classen and Kora Havel using the canting tool to draw their lines.

As well as finished high school art by Blake Meyer- the crackled green and blue abstract eye, Natalie Staskal- pumpkins in the fall and Jasmine Turrubiates- representing her love for basketball.

Monday, December 21, 2020

Exeter-Milligan MakerSpace Tribute

Photos and story courtesy of Lisa Soukup

E-M MakerSpace Tribute
Exeter-Milligan MakerSpace sponsors and attendees would like to take this time to thank Norm Yound’s family for the wonderful donation of wood. Norm was an avid woodworker and loved to create and make many wooden items for family and friends. Norm passed away in July of this year. His family was cleaning out the garage when they found a bunch of scrap wood. They asked if we could use it at MakerSpace. The generous donation of wood was then cut into smaller pieces for the kids to create with.

The kids love to work with hammers and nails and our supply of wood was very small so the donation meant a lot. With this donation, Norm is passing the love of woodworking down to another generation. I can hardly wait to see what they will build in the future. Thanks again Yound family.

Norm is pictured with his granddaughter Erica (Yound) Vossler in 2014

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Capek Honors Veterans With Eagle Scout Project

Braden Capek stands in front of the Avenue of flags at the Milligan National Bohemian Cemetery.

If you have visited the Milligan Bohemian National Cemetery south of Milligan on Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day you have seen their beautiful avenue of flags. Now, thanks to the Eagle Scout project of Braden Capek there are more flags to enjoy.

Capek contacted the cemetery board with several ideas for projects and ended up embracing the opportunity to place pipes in the ground for 40 more flags running east and west in the cemetery.

“I had to get it approved by the cemetery board and then talk to the members on the board, and I talked to the Legion as well,” explained Capek.

Capek was in charge of getting the materials including poles and hardware and spent quite a bit of time laying out where the holes for the flags would be dug and prepping the holes for concrete.

The first step in the project was drilling holes in the posts and assembling the hardware for holding each flag. Capek got some help from his Boy Scout troop (Exeter Troop 218) and Legion member Randy Capek for this step.

After the poles were assembled, the flag positions were flagged out by Braden and Randy before the holes could be dug.

Braden Capek described the next step in the process, “I had a crew that helped dig the holes, Dale Luzum helped with his skid loader and drill attachment. Then I had another crew when we poured the cement and placed the pipes.”

In total, Braden and his crew spent approximately 56 hours on the project.

Braden looked at several opportunities for serving his community of Milligan but started to focus on the cemetery just a few miles from his home. He also wanted to honor military members as he recently lost his grandpa who served in the Korean War, “That was a big part. Plus it was something that needed to be done. It honors the veterans in my community who are deceased and this makes sure that there are spots for the future.”

The biggest challenge for Braden was “getting everyone together and working with everyone’s schedules to show up on time.”

He had a lot of help from the community as well as his troop members. “I had roughly ten who helped from the community. Most were legion members, cemetery board members and my family members.”

Legion member Randy Capek guided Braden in the project and felt, “He did all right. He did a good job.”

“We had put this project off for a few years and we were glad to see it done. It needed to be done as we had run out of holes. The flags will be paid for by Braden, too,” explained Randy Capek.

“We did 40 holes but 25 spots are already filled. A lot of them are local Milligan Legion members who we didn’t have a flag out for.”

“Braden completed a project that not only honored our Veterans but gave back to his community and taught him valuable skills leading others and communicating with several different groups,” explained Troop 218 Scoutmaster Dean Bartu.

Braden has used funds he raised selling popcorn and participating in other fundraisers with his Boy Scout troop to pay for the project. The poles for the project were donated by Teneco/Walker (out of Seward) but the rest of the costs will come out of what Braden has earned with his troop.

Not only has Braden made a lasting contribution to his community but the scouting program has given him “things I can carry with me my entire life. It’s given me a lot of skills and values that are very helpful.”

Through scouting he has had some very special opportunities including attending the 2017 National Jamboree which was held in West Virginia. This past summer he had planned to participate in a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico but it was cancelled due to COVID.

Throughout his scouting career Braden has spent countless hours serving his community and his church in Milligan.

Braden and his father, Roger Capek, place hardware on pipes to create flagpoles for the cemetery.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Santa Cruise Night in Exeter

Santa and his elves stopped in Exeter to collect letters and pass out some goodies to cruisers. Santa and his elves were sponsored by Generations Bank.

Above - After a few shy moments Leo Nicholas is happy to see Santa and get a treat bag.

Below – Parker Gloystein takes a treat bag from Santa’s elves at the Santa Cruise night in Exeter Saturday night.