Happy Mothers Day to all mothers out there. Thanks for doing the job that is never done. May is the month for graduations. This is the time when parents are so proud of their kids – the time when their child has grown up and matured in life and are ready and looking forward to new experiences in their future both graduating from high school and college. Congratulations to both the parents and students for all of your achievements so far in life – especially the GR graduates. We have made this a tough year for you but you have gone on and made some great accomplishments. Thanks to all of you for your hard work in overcoming this difficulty. You are a great group of young adults and we all wish you the very best in life. Congratulations to all – both high school and college graduates. Flash I – Bill and Doris Tessau have free trees to anyone who wants them. They have 500 evergreens about 8” to 12″ tall. Give them a call! Flash II – A must see – Pat Acton has moved his latest creation into Matchstick Marvels Museum. “Plane Loco” is here now before it goes to Ripley’s Believe It or Not. This could be Pat’s best yet. It’s 20′ long and 9′ high. Both young and old will love it. It will be here for Corn Carnival and through July. We are so honored to have Pat live here in Gladbrook and to share his talents with all of us. Matchstick Marvels is a tremendous draw for Gladbrook. Thank you Pat! The Gladbrook Foundation Board has met and will be awarding four grants this year. The Foundation is a great place to help out different projects in town from youth to the Fire and Ambulance building, theater, veteran’s rock and any other group that might apply. You can give money as memorials or give to a project that you think is important to Gladbrook. Some of the money given is not to be spent but invested and used for your choice of projects. Some donors leave it up to the board in deciding where the money goes. Please think about giving to the Gladbrook Foundation and help to make it grow and be used in Gladbrook’s future. Gladbrook clean up days will be May 18 & 19. This is a good time to check your back yard and around your house to get rid of some of the junk and unwanted items that have accumulated there over the year. I will be driving the streets and alleys after clean up days and if I see trash there, you will be getting a notice to remove it. This can get costly. Let’s all work together in making Gladbrook a better and prettier place to live. Remember, Gladbrook Strong and Proud! The Gladbrook Museum is looking for a red and black band uniform worn in the 50’s and part of the 60’s for display in the museum. If you know of one and can help, call my wife at 641-473-2561. Thank you!

Keith Sash, Mayor