Matthew Peake, a Brooklyn-based photographer and cinematographer, is shown with the aoudad ram he shot in Texas on a friend’s property with a revolver. Peake spent 14 years working at Brownells in Montezuma running the photo and video department where he photographed the company catalog and filmed commercials and how-to videos. He currently works for Rock Island Auctions in Rock Island, Ill., where he handles all the social media, public relations, promotions and does the video work, all while managing a staff of people. Rock Island Auctions, which also has a location in Bedford, Texas, hosts about a dozen gun and firearm auctions each year. Peake also worked as a cinematographer for 3.5 years on the documentary “Food, Inc. 2: Back for Seconds.” By J.O. Parker For a Brooklyn man, telling the story of farming and food production, showcasing a historical firearms on the auction block or making a how-to videos is all in a day’s work. Matthew Peake, a photographer and cinematographer, wrapped up filming last year on the documentary, “Food, Inc. 2: Back for Seconds.” The film, which was released in theaters on April 9 and is now streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and other outlets, is a follow up to the 2008 Oscar-nominated documentary “Food, Inc.” The sequel revisits the first documentary that Peake said took a look at commercial food production and how our food is made, how it is processed and what it is doing to the earth and how it has changed since our grandparents were children. “In the well-timed sequel, Food, Inc. 2, comes "back for seconds" reveals how corporate consolidation has gone unchecked by our government, leaving us with a highly efficient yet shockingly vulnerable food system dedicated only towards increasing profits,” noted information on the documentary. Filming of the documentary started in 2020 during Covid and Peake was recommended to revisit his boyhood home of Buffalo Center, Iowa, where he spent 3.5 years filming Zach Smith, a fifth generation farmer, for the documentary. Peake knew Smith from his growing up days and that connection helped land him the job. “He (Smith) is one of the biggest sections in the whole movie,” said Peake. “His story is about how hard it is to run a small family farm in today’s age and how he developed tools and machinery to help farmers be more successful. And to top that, how he works with the land and doesn’t hurt the land with a lot of chemicals.” Peake said he has worked on small documentaries off and on throughout his career, but never something international like the “Food, Inc.” project. When not making documentaries, in his day-to-day life, Peake spends his week as marketing director for Rock Island Auctions (RIA) in Rock Island, Ill. and now Bedford, Texas. “I run social media, public relations, promotions and all the video work and manage a staff of people,” he said. “I spend three days in Rock Island and work from home in Brooklyn the other two days. I also travel all across the United States and overseas for the company when called upon.” Peake joined RIA in 2022 after a 14-year stint at Brownells in Montezuma. “Rock Island Auctions is the world’s largest firearm company that has been in business for 30 years,” said Peake. The company specializes in auctioning of antique and fine collector firearms and militaria, hosting more than a dozen gun auctions annually in three different formats (Premier Auctions, Sporting and Collector Auctions and Arms and Accessories Day) all while catering to every level of collection expertise. The business has been featured on the television show American Pickers. Peake said the best thing about working at RIA is the history. He has witnessed the auctioning the Hans Solo blaster pistol from the Star Wars movies and also President Teddy Roosevelt’s pistols and guns. “We have auctioned guns of kings and aristocrats from all across the world,” Peake said. “It’s pretty amazing the amount of historical firearms and related artifacts that we handle there.” Peake became interested in photography while in elementary school after his teacher brought in a fine art photographer to share with his class. After high school, Peake attended Waldorf College in Forest City where he earned a BA in communications with emphasis in video. He completed an internship with Iowa Public Television where he got to work on documentaries at the time. “After I graduated college, I directed the news at KIMT in Mason City (CBS Affiliate),” he said. “I started doing a lot of photography there for fun. I left there and moved to Kansas City where I got another degree from the Kansas City Art Institute in photography and interactive media.” He landed a job at the Kansas City Art Institute teaching photography and also doing freelance video and photography covering the jazz and blues music scene in the KC area. He’s met and photographed B.B. King and many other international musicians. “Kansas City has such an active jazz and blues scene and I got to meet a lot of famous musicians. I photographed for a lot of albums, promotional materials and venues.” In 2008, he returned to Iowa and went to work for Brownells. “I helped establish the video and photo studios in the Montezuma location,” he said. “I was not the only one, there was another person who helped me start the video side.” He also did all the award-winning photography for the Brownell’s catalog and all the videos for the commercials and how-to videos, all from studios in Montezuma or on location. It was at Brownells where Peake, who was 28 at the time, first shot a gun and went hunting. “Frank Brownell helped get me interested in hunting,” he said. “I’ve hunted everything from elk to bear using a rifle, pistol or bow.” Peake said his most impressive hunt was a few years ago when he shot a red stag in Scotland. He shot a big elk in New Mexico and shot an aoudad ram in Texas on a friend’s property with a revolver. “Last year, I shot a black bear in Canada with my bow,” he said. When asked what he enjoys the most about his life and work, Peake said the biggest thing is he is always learning something. “The biggest thing about photography and video is the opportunity to tell people’s stories and a lot of times they are stories that have never been told,” he said. When asked what he would tell someone who came to him for advice on a career in photography, videography and communication, he said, “If you love telling stories and love what you do, the long hours and the hard work is absolutely worth it. You will be working long hours. That is the name of the game.” Peake and his wife, Vanessa, have 6-year-old twin daughters in kindergarten at BGM Elementary. Vanessa works at Grinnell Mutual. And for the future, Peake said he wants to continue telling people’s stories and living in a small town. “I love living in Brooklyn and being able to tell people’s stories,” said Peake. “You don’t have to be in New York or California to do that kind of work.” To see Peake’s work, visit his website at: matthewpeake.com. Matthew Peake, a Brooklyn-based photographer and cinematographer, is shown filming one of his many projects in recent years. Peake is in charge of the social media, public relations, promotions and all the video work and manages a staff of people at Rock Island Auctions in Rock Island, Ill. He joined the company two years ago after spending 14-years at Brownells.
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It was a swashbuckling good time as BGM Elementary students dressed in an array of costumes and sang and performed during the second spring concert on Thursday, April 4. The program featured students in second, third, fifth and sixth grades.
Steve Rhoads, overseer of the Brooklyn Community Garden, plants carrots during a recent early spring planting. Located at 305 Jefferson St., the BGC has more than 20 different types of vegetable and plants and is run entirely by volunteers. Rhoads and his wife, Melia, donated the land the garden is on to the Brooklyn Community Foundation. A number of corporations and community members invest into the garden with donations, plants, seed, mulch, fertilizer and volunteer their time. “The kids in town really love our strawberries,” said Rhoads, who was busy planting vegetable seeds with volunteer Kathy Hash. “That is what we like to see.” By J.O. Parker
The Brooklyn Community Garden at 305 Jefferson St. is growing in popularity and gaining ground each year. Run entirely by volunteers under the direction of Steve Rhoads, the garden is open to the public in the Brooklyn area who are looking for fresh, locally grown produce and foods. “The kids in town really love our strawberries,” said Rhoads, who was busy planting vegetable seeds with volunteer Kathy Hash last week. “That is what we like to see.” The garden was started about six years ago after Brian Manatt with Manatt’s Inc. approached Rhoads, who owned the land at the time, to see if it was available for use as a community garden. Manatt was an acquaintance of Chad Nath, the founder of the Grinnell Giving Gardens, and together the two wanted to start a community garden in Brooklyn. Rhoads was onboard with the idea and gave it the OK. The first year, the garden started with one 20-foot by 40-foot bed and one water hydrant by the road. “We used to have to drag hose all over the place,” recalled Hash of the early days. Rhoads, his brother-in-law, Jeff Thompson, and Manatt employees, along with the help of Nath, planted the first crops and took care of the garden the first year. “We provided the garden with all the seeds and vegetables that first year to help them get started,” said Nath. Since then, the garden has evolved into a wider group of local volunteers. “Currently there are about 10-12 volunteers who help off and on tend to the garden,” said Rhoads. Rhoads, who is owner of Jasper Construction, and his wife, Melia, decided to donate the land to the Brooklyn Community Foundation for use as a community garden. A number of improvements have been made at the garden since those early days including the addition of five more water hydrants, two of which were added this last year, seven raised garden beds and a couple hoop trellis arches for growing vine crops. There is also a strawberry bed, herb garden and flower bed. And this last year, a number of trees along a fence row to the south of the garden were removed to give the garden area better sunlight. The garden features several varieties of onions and peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, red cabbage, green beans, brussel sprouts, kale and kohlrabi, cauliflower, okra, broccoli, rhubarbs, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots and more. “Last year the garden really grew and people knew we were here,” said Rhoads. “If someone needed a pepper and an onion for supper, they could come pick whatever was ripe.” He said the garden benefits many of the elderly Brooklyn residents who live in apartments and can’t have their own garden. “They will come gather food,” he said. “Not much went to waste last year.” Rhoads said he and the volunteers like to grow produce and foods that can be eaten right out of the garden. “It is open to anyone in the Brooklyn area and is free for residence to come pick whatever is ripe.” Rhoads said it cost about $1,000 a year to purchase supplies such as seed, fertilizer, mulch and plants for the garden. He said the garden is made possible thanks in part to a number of corporate sponsors. They include Manatts, who keeps the ground around the garden mowed and provides the water. Hall’s Feed and Seed tills the garden beds and donates cattle panels, posts, natural compost plants and seed for planting. Minturn Construction on Front Street in Brooklyn provides used lumber and labor for the raised beds and Jasper Construction employees helped build the raised beds for the garden during down time. “We couldn’t do this without the support of the Brooklyn Community Foundation,” noted Rhoads. “The Brooklyn Community Foundation supports many groups like the Brooklyn Community Garden in the Brooklyn area with grants and donations from local donors.” “We are glad to be a part of the community garden,” said Greg Hall, owner of Hall’s Feed and Seed with his wife, Sandy. “Anytime Steve has questions, I try to help him. He stops in and we talk about how to make things easier and more economical. He deserves all the credit and spends a lot of time taking care of the garden.” “The community garden is for a great cause for anybody who needs it in town,” added Hall. “It’s a wonderful project.” "We couldn't do this without the gardening expertise Halls Feed and Seed gives us," said Rhoads. "Their help is invaluable to us." For those interested in supporting the community garden financially, donations of any amount can be left at Hall’s Feed and Seed at 100 Brady St. “We keep growing a little at a time,” said Rhoads. “There is nothing like seeing communities grow their own sustainable food,” said Nath. “It’s going to be nice this year,” added Hash. On Thursday, April 25, North Arrow Partners, will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. at 1236 Bliss St. in Grinnell. Join in this celebration of the development of The Stella Townhomes.
City Mayor Dan Agnew will be in attendance. Representatives from North Arrow Partners and the Iowa Finance Authority will offer comments on the history of the project and the positive impact The Stella Townhomes will have on the community. The Stella Townhomes will offer 34 townhomes ranging from 1-4 bedrooms, 2 homes will be fully handicapped accessible, and 4 homes will be adaptable. These homes will offer a modern flare in design and fixtures, that are affordable for families in need of housing. Originally formed in 1999, North Arrow Partners is a development, architectural and general contracting firm based in Villa Park, Ill., specializing in innovative and sustainable communities for seniors, families and the special needs population. North Arrow Partners believes in building with purpose and advocating for our clients and those they serve. Learn more about North Arrow Partners by visiting northarrowpartners.com. Household Hazardous Waste Collection
A free Household Hazardous Waste Collection for Poweshiek County residents will be held on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Grinnell Public Services Department, 1411 1st Ave. Acceptable Items: Common household cleaners, lawn & pool chemicals, poisons, antifreeze, oil & lead-based paint, stains & varnishes, gasoline & kerosene, lighter fluid, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent light bulbs & CFLs, thermometers & thermostats, pesticides, sharps (needles) in rigid plastic jug Unacceptable Items: Latex paint, medical wastes/drugs, asbestos, ammunition, electronics, explosives, radioactive materials, fire extinguishers & gas cylinders, auto batteries, alkaline batteries (A, AA, AA, C, D), empty containers, motor oil, hazardous waste from businesses Visit www.sciswa.org for more information. Managing latex paint: open it up, add kitty litter, stir. When dry, place open can in your trash. The household chemical collection is a service of South Central Iowa Solid Waste Agency and Metro Waste Authority. Tommy Hexter, director of Grinnell Farm to Table, and Kim Sieck, school nutrition director at Grinnell, coordinates a delivery of 80 pounds of breakfast sausage from Compass Plant CSA as part of the USDA local food for schools program. The program brings food raised by local farmers to area schools. In Poweshiek County, Grinnell and Montezuma utilize the program. The USDA LFS (Local Food for Schools) program provides schools across the nation with grants to purchase food from local farms. New reports on the Iowa Local Food for Schools program (LFS) highlights the value that providing funding to school cafeterias to purchase from local farmers brings to the state. In November 2023, a report was released that displayed that 110 farmers participated in the program, providing food to 135 school districts at a value over $279,000 in total. Based on a calculation in the report, for every dollar spent on the program, $1.94 returned as economic impact for the community in the form of job impact and value for local farmers recirculating the income in their economy.
In January 2024, the LFS grant team sent out a survey to participating school food service directors to ask them about their experiences with the program and how it impacts child nutrition. When asked, “What would you tell your elected officials about the importance of this program to your school?” 80 of the 120 participating schools statewide responded to the question about how much this program has added to their school breakfast and lunch programs. In Poweshiek County, Grinnell-Newburg Community School District and Montezuma Community School District have partnered with Grinnell Farm To Table to access a combined $20,000 of food from local farmers during 2023. These products included local eggs, pork sausage, beef, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, yogurt, and more from farms including Compass Plant CSA in Grinnell and Pleasant Grove Homestead in Montezuma. Kim Sieck, school nutrition director of the Grinnell-Newburg School District commented, “This program helped us bring in items that we normally do not have the option of purchasing, exposing the students to a wider variety of healthy foods.” Angie Radeke, school nutrition director for Montezuma schools responded simply, “Better quality food, the kids enjoyed having farm fresh." Tommy Hexter, Executive Director of Grinnell Farm To Table talked about the impact he sees in investing in local food for schools, noting “public money has always been used to purchase food for school meals. It only makes sense to use those funds to purchase from local farmers to positively impact the local economy and provide higher quality fresh food.” Since the start of LFS in 2022, schools have purchased over $1.8 million in locally produced food from 167 local producers, with schools in 69 counties that received funds from the program in the 2022-23 school year. These data and comments in the reports are a bright spot in Iowa’s food and farm system and showcase how Iowans value their children and farmers. The USDA program expired in March 2024, and many advocates around the state are hoping that the Iowa legislature will allocate money toward a “farm-to-school fund” to continue the program. More information about the state Local Food for Schools program can be found at https://www.iowafarmtoschoolearlycare.org/ifs. BGM students Mia Sunkle and Garrett Blankenship enjoy each other's company during a slow dance at the 2024 BGM Prom held at the Michael J. Manatt Community Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 6. This year's prom theme centered around finding the clues and solving a crime as students enjoyed a fun evening dancing to the tunes provided by Joe Tafta (BGM's School Liaison) and the Sound Doctor DJ services. The dance floor was decorated with the outline of a body at a crime scene and a forensic evidence board was used as a photo backdrop.
Ayson Krebill, 10, presents a check for $510 to Morgan Shea, a representative of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund on April 2 at the BGM Schools. Pictured with Ayson are, from left: Morgan Collum, a BGM teacher, cousin and advocate of Mollie Tibbetts and one of his teachers; Kim Calderwood, Laura Calderwood, Ayson, BGM fourth grade teacher Michelle Hall and Ayson’s parents, Ashley and Adam Krebill. With the help of his family, Ayson made 120 wooden coasters with Iowa and Iowa State logos and sold part of them to raise the money for the Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund. Shea is not pictured. Submitted photo. By J.O. Parker Making a difference in this world is something that a BGM Elementary School fourth grader took to heart. Ayson Krebill, 10, son of Adam and Ashley Krebill of Brooklyn, recently participated in a class entrepreneurship business project, raising $510 for the Stead Family Children’s Hospital Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund. The fund, in honor of the late Mollie Tibbetts, benefits child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. Ayson presented a check to Morgan Shea, a representative of the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, on April 2 at the school. Joining him at the presentation was his BGM teacher, Michelle Hall; Morgan Collum, a BGM teacher, cousin and advocate of Mollie Tibbetts and one of his teachers; Mollie’s mother, Laura Calderwood, her sister, Kim Calderwood and his parents. Every year, BGM fourth graders do a social studies unit on entrepreneurship in which students develop a business, create a product, set up a storefront and sell their products to one another using classroom currency. “Following the storefronts where the students sold their products to each other, Ayson decided to expand his business in order to benefit the Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund,” said his teacher, Mrs. Hall. “He produced another set of coasters and sold them online (and to family, friends and neighbors).” “That is where the real money comes into play,” Ayson said. Ayson said he and his mom, Ashley, were looking for ideas when he found a set of coasters at home and thought that it would be a good idea for an entrepreneurship project. With the help of his dad, Ayson cut out 120 coasters, one half for the school and one half to sell, using pine wood. The coasters were 3.5 by 3.5 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Each coaster featured either the Iowa State or Iowa logo. Ayson said the logos were made using metal cutouts and burnt into the wood. As part of the class project, Ayson decided to donate the proceeds from the sale of his coasters to the Molly Tibbetts Memorial Fund. The coasters sold for $10 each or two for $15 and three for $20. When asked why the Stead Family Children’s Hospital Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund, Ayson’s dad said he been to an Iowa football game and had a chance to do the Hawkeye Wave for the kids at the children’s hospital. “He thought that was really cool,” said Adam of his son, Ayson. Ayson spent about 25 hours cutting and making the coasters and selling them. “He worked his heart out for this,” said Billie Calderwood, an office administrator at BGM. “In this crazy old world it’s unique to find a fourth grader with such a huge heart.” “Ayson is an amazing kid who is a natural leader in the classroom,” noted his teacher, Mrs. Hall. “He is someone I can always count on to be a role model. This is just one of many examples of how he demonstrates great character every day.” Laura Calderwood, mother of the late Mollie Tibbetts, said she appreciates what Ayson did in raising more than $500 for the Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund supporting mental health services for youth at the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. She also sent a note of appreciation for all those who participated in the recent One Day for Iowa event, raising more than $5,000 for the Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund. “Thank you to Ayson and everyone who contributed to the memorial fund,” said Calderwood. Mrs. Hall said her hope is that Ayson’s project and generous donation will inspire other young people to strive for greatness. When asked what his favorite part of the project was, Ayson said, “making the coasters.” Ayson said he is thinking of making and selling more of the coasters in the future. Ayson Krebill, 10, is shown with his storefront and coasters he made as part of a social studies entrepreneurship business project in Michelle Hall’s fourth grade class at BGM Elementary School. Ayson cut the coasters and burned Iowa and Iowa State logos in them as part of the project. He made 120 coasters and sold 60 of them online and to family, friends and neighbors, raising $510 for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund. He presented a check to Morgan Shea, a representative of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund on April 2. Submitted photo. Ayson Krebill, 10, a BGM fourth grader, holds a check for $510 he was donated to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund on April 2 at the school. Ayson created 120 wooden coasters as part of a social studies entrepreneurship business project he did in Michelle Hall’s class. He sold 60 of the coasters and donated the money to the Mollie Tibbetts Memorial Fund. Submitted photo.
The Brooklyn Theatre Company presents “WCKY,” where murder and mayhem collide in hilarious fashion as a new radio station is preparing to air its first show in 1939. The play was written by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus and is under the direction of Josh Gerard.
The production is slated for April 19-21 in the Brooklyn Opera House. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The production is produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colo. Synopsis: As the Clementine Sisters are about to sing the opening jingle, the action behind the scenes is infused with both excitement and drama. Head writer Roy plans to propose on air to assistant director Polly. One of the radio actresses, Sarah, has helped him procure a ring, and of course, Polly walks in just as Roy is down on one knee practicing his proposal with Sarah. When Sarah ends up dead a few minutes later as she’s about to make her own shocking and unscripted announcement on the air, all signs point to poor Roy. By the time the night is over, two other on-air talents have also been murdered, and each time, Roy is the prime suspect. It’s up to our creative writer to solve the mystery himself and reveal the actual killer through a live radio broadcast! “This is probably the most ambitious play I've ever directed in conjunction with the Brooklyn Theatre Company,” noted Gerard. “It's a big cast, and almost everyone is onstage all the time. It's packed with jokes and mystery, and I think everyone is going to love it, so come on out and support local theater.” Cast: Ziggy – Emmitt Albers; Emerson – Jeff Britts; Detective Carter – Emily Britts; Alistair – Addy Day; Clementine Sister – Lucia Dhooge; Victoria – Lorelai Gerard; Dischord – Silas Gerard; Sarah – Tracey Gerard; Sterling – Josh Gerard; Speedy – Gracie Gerard; Randy – Rob Hanlon; Gilda – Kaylin Hatfield; Mavis – Shadlee Hazelwood; Slim – Roy Williams; Fran – Alaina Holmes; Solomon – Caden Lakose; Darla –Ali McCammant; Olivia – Sienna Shaull; Polly – Randi Shaw; Dotty – Abby Smith; Officer Green – Tristan Taylor; Clementine Sister – Abigail Wadhams; Roy – Travis Williams; Jasper – Isaiah Williams; and Clementine Sister – Karin Zern. Crew: Sound – Avery Zern; Costumes – Kelly Taylor; Set Design – Lucia Dhooge; Props Master – Kim Hawkins; and Director – Josh Gerard. Tickets: Tickets for the production are $25 for adults and $15 for students. They can be purchased through the Brooklyn Opera House at: https://www.brooklynoperahouse.com/events. |
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