Gift Guide is now available

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? If not, you're in luck! The Corridor's Gift Guide will point you in the right direction for unique items that are made and sold right here in the Corridor! 

Paintings, pottery, sculptures, jewelry, photographs and blown glass make unique and memorable gifts. Many of these items can be purchased at area art galleries, all of which are listed in the Gift Guide as well. Some of the artists have their own studios, and would love for guests to make a personal visit.

And who doesn't enjoy tasty treats? Local bakeries and coffee shops are making special holiday items. Many other food entrepreneurs are also listed in the gift guide.

The Gift Guide is available at local art galleries and the Iowa Lakes Corridor office. Digital copies are available here and on the Corridor's website. If you're not in the Gift Guide and would like to be next year, please contact the Corridor at 712-264-3474 or email Samantha.

This program is best-suited for entrepreneurs in their early stages of business development. It provides the tools to develop a business concept, determine the viability of the business concept, and outline the critical steps to a successful business launch.

Kauffman FastTrac®, an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, is a practical, hands-on business development program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and grow successful businesses. Kauffman FastTrac® participants don't just learn about the business, they live it. They work on their own business ideas or ventures throughout the program - moving their ventures to reality or to new levels of growth. Kauffman FastTrac® programs were created by entrepreneurs and are facilitated by entrepreneurs.

The FastTrac course will begin Tuesday, February 21. Sessions will be held every Tuesday for 10 weeks from 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the Iowa Lakes Corridor office in Spencer. 

Contact Brian at the Corridor office for more information at 712-264-3474, or send him an email.

Interactive art studio available in Ringsted

RINGSTED - Ken and Lezley Lowery have traveled the world, living in Spain, Turkey, Holland, Germany and the Philippians.  After living in Minot, North Dakota, for 20 years, they moved to Ringsted to be with Lezley's mom, Ruth Petersen.

Lezley and Ken Lowery

Nearly three years ago, the Lowery's opened The Artist's Table, an interactive art studio where visitors can come and be creative. "I want people to come, pilfer through the cupboards and find materials to use," said Lezley. Indeed, her cupboards are packed with art supplies. Some of the art people can create in her studio includes glass etching, stained glass, painting, both on canvas and pottery, jewelry making, tile stamping, and much more. Visiting artists have also held classes at The Artist's Table, including photography, watercolor, origami, jewelry making and more. 

"We had the chance to live our dream," said Ken of their move to Ringsted. Buying the building for the studio was much less expensive than in Minot. Lezley has a library of art books to give people ideas on what to create. Books range in subjects from painting to jewelry making, felting to papermaking, and everything in between. Visitors are encouraged to grab some books, relax on one of the couches and decide what to create. Lezley has frames available for artists when they're done with their painting or drawing.

They also have a gift shop in the front of the studio where Lezley sells her jewelry, and they sell the items they collected while living overseas for more than 15 years. Ken is more of a collector than an artist. "When I see something I like, I buy it," Ken said. Ken's specialties include baseball cards, knives and belt buckles. Amongst his knife collection is an 1860's police military bayonet from Sicily. 

The Lowery's will be closing the gift shop at the end of the year to focus on the art studio. Visit The Artist's Table at 117 West Maple in Ringsted. Contact Lezley at 712-221-7684 and artiststable@yahoo.com. 

Balloons Galore opens in Spirit Lake

SPIRIT LAKE - When Michelle Stephens decided to start her own business, she looked for something that the area was missing. That's when she came upon balloon decorating. She took a nine-day balloon decorating course in Florida and started Balloons Galore out of her home in Lake Park.

Michelle Stephens

On Halloween of this year, Stephens opened the doors of her new store downtown Spirit Lake. Balloon decorating is much more than just putting a few balloons out. Stephens makes arches, columns and bouquets. Balloons releases are becoming popular, both at weddings and as memorials. For releases, she uses biodegradable balloons with kite string instead of ribbon.

To build arches and columns, she uses a machine that blows up the balloons to a uniform size. She then uses fishing line to create the arches and columns. Recently, a new line of balloons have been made that tie together; Stephens uses these to create single strand arches.

Stephens has done the balloon decorations for Christmas parties and Harris-Lake Park's prom. She hopes that New Years will bring some business as well. Children's birthdays, as well as milestone birthdays, are a popular occasion for her, too. Valentine's Day is Stephens' busiest day. She already told her husband to take the day off to help with deliveries.

New trends in balloons Stephens noted includes clear balloons with designs, bright colors, patterns and designs, and animal prints such as zebra and cheetah. A trend that Stephens didn't expect was giving balloon bouquets to the actors after high school plays. She noted that it was mostly male actors receiving the bouquets, as female performers generally get flowers.

Taking balloons to friends and family in the hospital and nursing homes is still a big part of Stephens' business. Most hospitals and nursing homes don't allow latex balloons because of allergies, but Stephens has a way around that: foil balloons!

Balloons Galore is located at 1717 Hill Avenue in Spirit Lake. Contact Michelle Stephens at 712-331-1301, balloonsgalore4u@hotmail.com, and visit her online at www.balloonsgalore4u.com.   

Dr. Wind Goodfriend, associate professor of psychology, and recent BVU graduate Arielle Butler, have written an empirical article together which has been accepted for publication in the journal "Modern Psychological Studies." The paper is based on Arielle's year-long research project in Dr. Goodfriend's "Research Thesis" class. The title of the paper is "Long distance vs. proximal romantic relationships: Predicting alternatives, satisfaction, and bias."

Dr. Melinda Coogan, assistant professor of biology, was invited by NOVA publications to submit a chapter to be considered for publication in the upcoming book titled "Snails: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation." The chapter, titled "Helisoma trivolvus as an Assessment Organism in Algal Community Composition Studies," has been accepted for the spring, 2012 publication.

BVU's Communication Studies faculty were well represented at the September Iowa Communication Association Conference. Two faculty presented work on a program titled "Internationalizing our Campuses and Professional Lives." Dr. Mary Gill's presentation was titled "International and Domestic Students: Creating a Healthy Environment" and Dr. Jill Rhea's presentation was titled "We all Need Diversity: Intercultural Relationships Matter."

Dr. Beth Lamoureux presented a teaching strategy as part of G.I.F.T.S (Great Ideas for Teaching Speech) Panel titled " Global Inventory: Creating Relevance for Students Living in a Global Economy." Dr. Bryan Kampbell was elected as an at-large member to the executive board of the association and Gill assumed the role of editor for the Iowa Journal of Communication.

Dr. Annamaria Formichella Elsden, professor of English, has an article titled "'A Modern and Model Pioneer': Civilizing the Frontier in Woolson's 'A Pink Villa,'" that has been published as a chapter in a newly released book, "Witness to Reconstruction: Constance Fenimore Woolson and the Postbellum South, 1873-1894" (University Press of Mississippi).

Kathryn McKinley, social work program director and assistant professor of social work, was honored by the Council on Social Work Education's Gero-Ed Center for developing her research I & II courses to include selected gerontology social work competencies and content involving older adults. These syllabi were developed as part of her involvement in the three-year Curriculum Development Institute Program. These syllabi are posted on CSWE's Gero-Ed Teaching Tools Website for others to use in their teaching.

Dr. Bryan Kampbell, communication professor, and Dr. Derek Davidson completed the translation and adaptation of a revival of German playwright Georg Buchner's working-class drama, Woyzeck, which is being produced by Raconteur Theatre Company in Columbus, Ohio. The theatre company's website describes the play as "a drama exploring the tenuous stability of the human psyche."