Club News

What we’ve done – and what we’re going to do! (August news and Fall 2016 preview)

The September – October 2016 newsletter is now available for you to read:  NWFT Sept-Oct 2016

We had 26 people at our Hanscom Park/Ford Birthsite walk on August 13th and another 26 people at our tour of the Union Pacific Museum.  What a great turnout! We hope to see you at one of these upcoming events, Note that some of these involve traveling outside of our area – make your overnight stay reservations NOW!  Let us know if you need a ride to any of these.

September 16th – 17th – Prairie Wanderers Club in SD hosts 5 walks in Huron and Mitchell over 2 days. Possible carpooling to those events; will require an overnight stay. Let us know if you are interested.
September 24th – Ogallala “Indian Summer Rendezvous”.  Registration from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
September 25th –October event prewalk at 4 p.m.  Parking for the prewalk will be the overflow lot just south of the Playhouse parking.  (There is a play that evening).
October 1st – Omaha Community Playhouse – a Traditional Event.  Registration from 9:30 a.m. to 12 (Doors do not open until 9:30) 
October 15th – Shelby, IA Group Walk (Meet and Eat) – details to be announced later.  The Corn Crib is the designated restaurant.
October 29th – Lincoln Wyuka Walk – a Traditional Event.  Our club encourages you to go, but will not be organizing formal carpools to this event.
November  5th – New Cassel (Omaha) – a Traditional Event.  Registration 9-12.   Group walk at 9:30.  There is no kitchen or refrigerator for this event.  If you bring a cream pie, please provide cooler or some way of preserving it.
November 19th – Council Bluffs Group Walk (Meet and Eat).  Eat at Lansky’s after.  Time will be published as it is organized.
December 3rd – Lights Walk – a Traditional Event.  Registration from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.??  (Details being finalized) Will announce later a time for those interested in walking as a group.
December 17th – Kansas City Plaza Lights Walk (Meet and Eat).  Carpools would leave in the early afternoon, to arrive around 4 p.m. Details to be announced later.  Westroads Mall alternate walking site if roads are icy.

August Event updates

Our walk on Saturday, August 13th is set for 8 a.m. at the Hanscom Park Pavilion. Enter the park from the southeast, just west of Park Avenue on Ed Creighton Avenue, off the Martha Street exit on I-480.  A picture is attached to give you an idea of where the pavilion is located within the park.  DON’T go further west to the entrance to the tennis courts and swimming pool!  There will be road work on 32nd Avenue, on the west side of the park, so keep that in mind as you navigate.  The fee for credit walkers is $3 and $1.50 for fun walkers. Please bring exact change to speed up the registration process. Afterwards, the group will be heading to the 11-Worth Cafe for a late breakfast or early lunch. The 11-Worth Cafe is at 2419 Leavenworth Street and is an Omaha icon.

 

Hanscom Park walking start point

The second event of the month will be on August 27th, at 10:30 a.m., on the other side of the river. Meet us at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, 200 Pearl Street, Council Bluffs, IA for our personalized tour!  Those wanting to join us for lunch after the tour will walk a very short distance to the Main Street Cafe, at 102 Main Street.

Chalco Hills YRE Start Point has moved!

We’re sorry to report that the Pump and Pantry closed, so effective July 15th the Walk Box will be located at the Holiday Inn Express, on the south side of Highway 370 and just north of the Walmart.  The address is 16175 Stevens Point Circle, Gretna, NE 68138.  Be sure to say thank you to the folks at the Registration Desk when you ask for the box.

July and August Events and News

We resume our monthly club meetings on Monday, September 12th.  The first Monday of the month in July is July 4th.  We want to wish you a Happy Independence Day! Please take care when traveling and celebrating – we want to see you at all the events happening this summer.

July 9th is the annual Germanfest Festival in Syracuse, Nebraska. No walk is planned, but some club members might be heading down for brats and beer.

On July 16th, we are planning to meet in the parking lot at 2301 “O” Street in Lincoln (now home to Lutheran Family Services) at 9 a.m. for a 5k walk. Carpoolers can meet at Mangelsen’s in Omaha (84th and Frederick) at 8 a.m. or at 8:15 a.m. in the far NW parking lot at Nebraska Crossing Outlets in Gretna. The 5k group will return and have a late breakfast or early lunch at the Farmhouse Cafe, next door to Mangelsen’s. There is also a group interested in doing the 10k, which will go through the Haymarket District, where the Farmers’ Market is held during summer months.

August 13th is our Hanscom Park walk, also a morning walk to beat the heat. More details to come later!

The Union Pacific Museum at 200 Pearl Street in Council Bluffs is the site for our next get-together on August 27th at 10:30 a.m.  After our group tour, we will adjourn to the Main Street Cafe, just a block and a half down the street.  That will be the extent of the walking planned for the group, but the Council Bluffs YRE is available for those who want to stretch their legs after the group’s activities.

For more details and contact information for any of these events, read the latest edition of the newsletter, available here:  July – August 2016 Newsletter.

June Events: National Trails Day and Club Meeting

Our National Trails Day Walk will be held at Chalco Hills Recreation Area at 154th and Giles Road, on Saturday morning, June 4th.  Thank you to the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District for opening up the building for us and helping suggest and mark trails for you to use.

The 10k is a slight modification to the regular Year Round route (normally available at the Pump and Pantry off of I-80 and NE-370), while the 5k route is quite a bit different, heading off onto natural paths and trails for more than 50% of the route.  Stop by the Visitors’ Center between 8:30 and 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 4th to register, pay and get a map, if needed.  Group walks will begin at 9:30 a.m.  Cost: Fun Walkers are FREE (but donations are gratefully accepted); those stamping books pay $3.  If stamping books, we will stamp them at the BEGINNING of the walk.

Giles Road is completely blocked from 144th to just before the entrance to the Visitors’ Center, so you have to drive up to Chandler or to Harrison, head left (west) to 156th, left (south) to Giles, and left (east) on Giles to the first right.  There is an ominous sign at 156th and Giles, saying that the road is closed to thru traffic, but don’t worry! The road is open to the entrance to Chalco Hills Recreation Area.

Our last club meeting before the summer break will be Monday evening at 7 p.m. at Morning Star Lutheran Church, 331 S 85th Ave, Omaha, NE 68114.   The speaker this month is a guitarist, who will play and talk about playing, followed by a short business meeting. After that, stay for light refreshments and some social time!

 

Getting caught up!

Kite Making Barn at the Johnston, Iowa Kite Festival walk put on by the Des Moines club

Our club has been so busy that there’s been little time to sit down at the keyboard!

Our next event will be out at Prairie Queen Recreation area, just west of Werner Park (home to the Omaha Storm Chasers minor league baseball team) on Saturday, May 14th.  Register from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., off the trail by 2 p.m.  Check out ALL of our upcoming events via the calendar on this website, on Facebook, on Meetup or download and print out the attached PDF of upcoming events.

If you’re planning to come to the National Trails Day walk at Chalco Hills on June 4th, 2016, please be advised that the stretch of Giles Road closest to where you get off I-80 is closed (144th Street and Giles Road).  You have to go past Giles north to Harrison Street, west to 156th St., south to Giles, and then east to the entrance to the Recreation Area’s parking lot.

 

Walkers at Arbor Day Farm
Walkers at Arbor Day Farm

Thank you to everyone who participated in The Big Give S.A., which benefited the national organization to which this club belongs, the American Volkssport Association.  The totals aren’t closed out for the event, but they’re nearly to their goal of $50,000. Some big changes to the www.ava.org website are coming in the near future and new programs and activities will be rolled out soon, now that funding has been secured.

 

May – June 2016 Newsletter

Upcoming events Apr – Dec 2016

 

 

Mar – April 2016 Upcoming Events

Bellevue Walk Prewalk–Saturday, March 26 at 9 a.m., Thanksgiving Lutheran Church, 36th& Hwy 370, Bellevue.  Please arrive 15 minutes early to register.  Restrooms will be available at the start.  See below for trail descriptions.  $1.50 for fun walkers and $3.00 for credit walkers. Exact change is appreciated.

Trailblazers Spring Event-Saturday, April 2, Thanksgiving Lutheran Church, 36th & Hwy 370.  Start times 9-12, finish by 3.  There will be a 6 K (Hilly, picturesque trail) a 5 K (out and back, fairly flat trail) and a 10 K trail that follows a hike bike trail.  Come see the pretty spring flowers!

 Monthly Meeting-Monday, April 4 at 7 p.m.  Our monthly meeting will be at Morning Star Lutheran Church.  Our program will be Marilyn Asher speaking about Prison Ministry.

Magician showing a trick. Notice that his hands are so fast you can't even see them?
Magician showing a trick. Notice that his hands are so fast you can’t even see them?
Is this trick going to work?
Is this trick going to work?

 

Highlights from our March meeting magician program!

 

 

 

Group Walk– Nebraska City YRE-Date to be announced.  The apple blossoms should be blooming.  A great walk through a historic downtown, through Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and past the Lied Conference Center.

Feb – Mar Upcoming Events

Westroads Group Walk – Saturday, February 20th.  Meet near the children’s play area between Penney’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods at 7:45 a.m. so we can start walking at 8 a.m.  We will have the walkbox there for registration.  5k and 10k options available. Credit walkers pay $3; Fun walkers pay $1.50. Exact change is appreciated!

Soup Walk Workers’ Walk – Saturday, February 27th at 1 p.m.  St. Vincent de Paul Church, 14330 Eagle Run Drive in the gathering space of the church (inside, but we have to be quiet).  Restrooms will be available. 5k and 10k options available.  Arrive about 15 minutes early so walkers can start at 1 p.m. Fun walkers pay $1.50. Exact change is appreciated!

Soup Walk – Saturday, March 5 at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 14330 Eagle Run Drive, Omaha, NE – use school entrance with “St. Vincent de Paul” above the door.  Start times 9 a.m. -12 a.m., finish by 3 p.m.  5k and 10k options available. Bring two cans of soup; one for the Food Bank and one to share.  Make sure to save some time for soup and conversation after the walk.  There will be some fun prizes at the raffle.  Raffle tickets are still a bargain at $.50 or 3 for $1.

Lincoln St. Patrick’s Day Workers’ Walk – Sunday, March 6th at 1 p.m. See directions below.

Monthly Meeting – Monday, March 7th at 7 p.m.  Our monthly meeting will be at Morning Star Lutheran Church.  We will have a musician (Walter Graham) showing us his tricks before a short business meeting and snacks.

Lincoln St. Patrick’s Day Walk –  Saturday, March 12th, start 9 a.m.-11a.m.,  be off the trail by 1 p.m.  New location!  Fallbrook YMCA,  700 Penrose Drive, Lincoln, NE.  From I-80 East & West: take EXIT 401(US 34), west on US 34 to Fallbrook Blvd North, it will change name to Tallgrass Parkway after a “roundabout”, continue on Tallgrass to Penrose; right on Penrose to YMCA on left. From south: take I-180 north from downtown to where it becomes US34, & follow above directions

Des Moines St. Patrick’s Day Walk – Saturday, March 19th, start 9 a.m. -11 a.m., finish by 1:30 p.m.  Start Point is at the VFW, 4029 Urbandale Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310. The route is on city sidewalks and recreational trails, From 1-35/I-80: take exit 131 (Merle Hay Rd), go south to Urbandale Ave, then left (east) to start point.

 

February News from AVA Headquarters

Each month, AVA Headquarters publishes a newsletter called “The Checkpoint”, with contents generally aimed at club officers across the country. AVA’s Executive Director, Henry Rosales, wants to make the news more accessible and available to all walkers across the country, not just club officers.  This month, all of us are invited to request email delivery of “The Checkpoint” directly to our own email inboxes.  See how in here (at the bottom):  February 2016 Checkpoint

There’s also information in this month’s “Checkpoint” about changes in Special Programs, what the Strategic Planning Committee has been up to (our own Jeanne Miller represents the North Central region!), 40th Anniversary celebrations for the AVA in June in Texas and lastly, a request for feedback on a DBA for the American Volkssport Association: “America’s Walking Club”.

Our club has been fantastic about sharing information from AVA Headquarters over the past few years, and we really appreciate past and present club leadership for keeping us involved and informed!