March 25, Noon SCIA Ribbon Cutting at Mort’s Gun Shop, 1313 W. Thomas Ave., new owners Zach & Kelly James. Open house till 5 p.m. with food venders, refreshments, and prize drawings.

Lemon Fresh Laundry Grand Opening, SCIA Ribbon Cutting March 9   

     Shenandoah has entered a new era of modern laundry with the grand opening of Lemon Fresh Laundry downtown. Shenandoah Chamber & Industry will commemorate the advancement with a Ribbon Cutting at 10 a.m. Thursday March 9^th. Open house with coffee, refreshments, and snacks will follow until noon.

     The spacious Lemon Fresh Laundry is located at 601 W. Sheridan Avenue at the corner lot that was vacant for 9 years after a dilapidated building was torn down by the city. Owners Brad and Tammy Sorensen purchased the property from the city to build the new business and fill the vacant space on Shenandoah’s main street.

     When entering the well lite facility patrons are surrounded by glass and shiny silver metallic wall mounted washing machines and dryers. They operate with cash or by debit or credit card through http://Dexterpay.com. There are large machines that can wash multiple king-sized bedspreads.

     Kathy Silvestre is manager of the facility which is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Doors open and lock automatically. The business contact number is 712-215-2249.

Congratulations to all the Shenandoah Chocolate Walk Winners. Grand Prize winner of the Shenandoah Inn & Suites Hotel package was Brandy Powers of Shenandoah pictured here with Carys Woolsey Miss Shenandoah and Shenandoah Marketing Director Shelly Warner who conducted the drawings at The Sanctuary Restaurant February 9. Shenandoah businesses and SCIA donated over $1,200 in prizes and gift certificates to participants.
Grand Prize Shenandoah Inn & Suites (stay & gifts)- Brandy Powers

Depot Restaurant (2 Gift CARDS)- Joni McGinnis, Doris Sandahl

Sheridan Decorating (Gift Certificate)- Kelsi Leininger

Brown’s Shoe Fit (2 $25 Gift Cards)-Jessica DeBord, Brandy Powers

Paper Trail ($10 GIFT Certificate)- Kim Leininger

Angel Care Home Health (Cake, cookbook basket)-Mandie Rhodes

The Sanctuary (Tea/Cider Mixes)-Travis Roberts, Carol Damman, Takara

Hineline Home Furnishings (Throw Blanket)-Bonny Schepler

County Line Design (Mugs, bath bombs)- Jan Gardner

Shenandoah Floral (Gift certificate)- Zoey Roberts

Hansen Jewelers (Pearl earrings)- Shari Bradfield

SMC Grift Shop (Valentine gnome, photo holder– Liz Skillern

Serenity Studio Floral (Soap, certificate, lotion)- Cindy Arman

 Hy-Vee (Chocolate covered Strawberries)- Chelsie Pope

Scooters Coffee (Coffee, mug, gift card)- Robert Gardner

Legacy 3 Theater (2 gift cards)- Diane Wilson, Jean Debban

Sheri’s Restaurant (gift certificate)-Chrissy Barker

Nishna Valley Café (2 gift certificates)- Liz Skillern, Diane Wilson

Healthy Tails Retreat (bag of dog treats)- Helen Bishop

Fareway (bottle of wine)- Kris Sherman

Orscheln Farm & Home (earrings, gift card)- Kim Leininger

Earl May Garden Ctr. ($25 Gift card)- Shari Bradfield

Subway ($10 gift card)- Chelsie Pope 

Pizza Hut (2 pizza gift certificates)- Carys Woolsey, Chelsie Pope

EL Porton Mexican Grill (5-$20 Gift certificates)- Kelsie Leininger, Bonnie Schepler, Zoey Roberts, Helen Bishop, Jean Debban

SCIA (chamber bucks, $25, $50, $75, $100)- Brandy Powers, Travis Roberts, Takara, Carol Dammann

Congratulations to all the winners! Thanks for Shopping Shenandoah. Happy Valentines Day!

More Sweets, More Prizes in 2023

Shenandoah Chocolate Walk February 9  

     Celebrate the Valentine Day holiday with the Shenandoah Chocolate Walk Thursday February 9^th. Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association businesses are giving shoppers an opportunity to indulge in chocolate treats and win prizes.

     All day shoppers will not only find winter bargains in stores but can also enjoy all kinds of chocolate at participating businesses. Shoppers will pick-up entry forms in stores for the drawing of over 40 prizes including items and gift certificates. More entry forms will be given with purchases. Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association is offering $25, $50, $75, and $100 in Chamber Gift Certificates. Among the other prizes offered are a stay in a suite at Shenandoah Inn & Suites Hotel. Shoppers must bring entry forms to The Sanctuary Restaurant starting at 5 p.m. to enter and must be present to win. Drawings will begin at 6:30 p.m.

      The Sanctuary Restaurant at 207 S Elm St. is hosting the Chocolate Walk Party with free appetizers, Chocolate Walk logo mugs (100 available), and wine sampling from 5-7 p.m. Meals will be offered from the regular menu. Several Valentine design t-shirts can be purchased at County Line Design, 506 W Sheridan Avenue.

     Shop the Chocolate Walk, sample chocolate, and pickup entry forms in stores February 9 at these SCIA Businesses: Depot Restaurant 101 Railroad Street, Paper Trail 709 W Sheridan Avenue, Hansen Jewelers 603 W Sheridan Avenue, Angel Care Home Health 717 W Sheridan Avenue, Shenandoah Inn & Suites Hotel 620 W Sheridan Avenue, Shenandoah Floral 514 W Sheridan Avenue, County Line Design 506 W Sheridan Avenue,  Hineline Home Furnishings 1215 W Nishna Road, and The Sanctuary Restaurant 207 S Elm Street, Serenity Studio Flowers & Spa 110 S Elm Street, Brown’s Shoe Fit Store 611 W Sheridan Avenue, Shenandoah Medical Center Gift Shop 300 Pershing Avenue, Sheridan Decorating 1204 W Sheridan Avenue.

      More prizes provided by SCIA businesses: Hy-Vee, Subway, Legacy 3 Theatre, Scooters Coffee, Sheri’s Restaurant, Nishna Valley Café, Healthy Tails Retreat, Pizza Hut, Orscheln Farm & Home Supply, Earl May Garden Center, Fareway, El Porton Mexican Grill, and SCIA.

     “Chocolate Walk is a promotion that Shenandoah SCIA businesses have participated in since 2014. It’s a fun way to celebrate Valentines and an opportunity for businesses to show appreciation to customers for shopping in Shenandoah,” said SCIA Marketing Director Shelly Warner. “It’s an event that gets people into the businesses to checkout winter sale merchandise and breaks up the long winter days with a fun party with friends.” Contact SCIA for more information or stop by the SCIA office at 619 W Sheridan Avenue to pick-up a list of the participating stores. It will also be posted the Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association facebook and website www.sciaiowa.com.

     Shenandoah Chamber and Industry Association Ag Committee and Agriculture Future of America join forces each year to support an agricultural scholarship program. Applications are now being accepted online at the website www.agfuture.org under the Community Scholarship tab through March 9, 2023.

     This year the SCIA Ag Committee will award up to two scholarships. AFA matches community funds, now being raised by the SCIA Ag Committee, to offer $4,450 in each scholarship, including $3,200 academic scholarship and $1,250 to cover the AFA Leaders Conference expenses in Kansas City the following November.

     Qualified applicants are Shenandoah, Sidney or Essex high school seniors who will pursue a degree in agriculture or any related field at an accredited college or university. Many majors qualify if they will be applied to the agriculture industry, such as…business, chemistry, horticulture, animal science, education, computer science etc.

    The application process also includes an essay sharing the applicant’s personal vision for agriculture and why their interest in an agricultural career. An interview will be conducted soon after March 9th at the SCIA office, 619 W. Sheridan Avenue. Applications must be posted online by March 9th so they can set up interview times. The link to the application is http://www.agfuture.org then click on the community partner scholarship.

    The goal of the AFA Scholarship is to identify students with strong potential. Students are also scored on community service and citizenship, activities, work experience, family need, references, grade point (3.0 and above) and student rank. The Essay has the greatest weight in scoring applicants.

    The Scholarship winners will be announced at the SCIA Annual Meeting and Ag Banquet to be held later in the spring. SCIA Ag Committee members are now gathering donations for the Agriculture Future of America scholarship. Agriculture Future of America Foundation provides $2,000 to match $2,450 raised locally for each scholarship. Businesses and individuals that wish to contribute should contact SCIA at 246-3455, chamber@sciaiowa.com or drop off a check. Checks should be made to Greater Shenandoah Foundation.

      Winner of the Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association Small Business Sno-dough Drawing is Mary Whitehill of Farragut. SCIA Marketing Director Shelly Warner presented Mary the prized of $500 in Chamber Gift Certificates January 14.

     The drawing was designed to encourage Sno-dough purchasers to spend it at small business. They had the opportunity to spend it at 21 different Shenandoah small businesses. The Sno-dough promotion captured $41,885 for holiday shopping in Shenandoah. Mary can now spend the $500 in gift certificates at over 70 SCIA businesses.

      Shenandoah Chamber and Industry Association hosts State Legislative Briefings each year for constituents to meet with legislators. This year Shenandoah is represented by two new legislators partly due to new districting boundaries. Senator Tom Shipley, district 11, and Representative Tom Moore, district 2, will now represent Shenandoah in the Iowa State Legislature. Saturday January 28th, 8 a.m. at the Shenandoah Safety Center Bricker Community Room, 400 W. Sheridan Avenue is the first Legislative Briefing of the 2023 session.

     This is the first of the series of three question and answer sessions with state legislators. Other dates are February 25 and March 25, each beginning at 8 a.m. This is an opportunity for legislators to brief the public on what is happening in the Iowa Legislature, answer questions, and hear concerns. Pastries and coffee will be served at each session.

Our mission is to improve the economic vitality of the Shenandoah area, to expand high paying

employment opportunities, enhance Shenandoah's retail shopping, and to support major

community projects that improve our quality of life. 

Discover What the Future Can Hold.

Move Forward with Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association Membership! Contact SCIA for a
membership form. chamber@sciaiowa.com 

Some recent accomplishments…...

-Green Plains Clean Sugar facility, $50 million project

-Gifted 25 acres of land for Shenandoah Bio Campus

-Community 1st  Credit Union TIF project

-Shenandoah Villa Apartments, 40 units, TIF project

-Midwest Mental Health building facilitated city incentive

-Johnson Brothers Mill rehab TIF project MALOJA LLC.

-Pella Corp. expansion, facilitated lease of 72,000 sq. ft. Shen Business Ctr. (Eaton bldg.)

-Community Based Veterans Outpatient Clinic incentive

-SWIFT high speed Internet facilitator

-Shenandoah Golf Course, facilitated city ownership

-Legacy 3 Theater recliner seating & upgrades facilitator, TIF project

· SCIA pursues successful industrial & business recruitment bringing jobs & customers to Shenandoah commerce. SCIA assists in personnel hiring.

· SCIA teams with city of Shenandoah to implement progressive strategic plans, TIF projects, city business loan proposals & makes great effort for business retention.

· SCIA Board of Directors head committees on housing, industry, small business & tourism working toward improvements in Shenandoah.

· SCIA markets Shenandoah & events thru multi-media advertising, press releases, visitors guide, www.sciaiowa.com website, & social media with  beautiful photos, plus monthly radio interviews covering events & timely topics.

· SCIA financially helps support nonprofits in the community, Shenandoah Community Golf Course, Veterans Military Museum, Everly Brothers Childhood Home & countless community organizations.

· SCIA organizes, & promotes community & business events: SCIA Coffees, Ribbon Cuttings, Ag Scholarships, Annual Meeting Banquet, Legislative Briefings, Christmas events, Farmer’s Market, Chamber Gift Certificates, Shenfest, & Wabash Nature Trail Marathon.

Live Reindeer & Santa featured Nov. 26 for Shenandoah Christmas Jingle Jam Night the Lights Come On

Live reindeer, Santa and Mrs.  Claus are the main attraction at the annual Night the Lights Come On Saturday November 26 downtown. Christmas Jingle Jam is the theme for this year’s event organized by Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association. The activities are free to all and sponsored by SCIA, Community 1^st Credit Union, Wilson Insurance and Legacy 3 Theater.

Jingle Jam Christmas music and hot chocolate served by the Shenandoah Forum organization will add to the festivities. From 3 to 5 p.m. children will have the opportunity to sit with Santa in his sleigh for photos next to the flatiron clock. Children can see the live reindeer and touch fur and antlers in a display. Mrs. Clause and Miss Shenandoah Carys Woolsey will pass out jingle necklaces to help ring in the holiday season. Santa and Mrs. Claus will count down to the downtown lighting at 5:30 p.m.

Stores will be open for Christmas shopping and many downtown small businesses are accepting SCIA Sno-dough payments which enable shoppers to save money and signup for a $500 drawing awarded in January.

Shenandoah Veterans Memorial Museum at 603 W Lowell Avenue will host a fundraising Soup & Pie Supper in their large meeting room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. They are partnering with the VFW for the supper and will accept free will donations. The museum will be open for tours also.

Mrs. Claus hosts a free Kids Christmas movie with free popcorn and pop for children Saturday December 3, 10 a.m. at Legacy 3 Theatre. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. The movie shown in all three theatres will be Polar Express. Seating is limited to 140 seats. Parents can join their small children at the theatre or drop off older children and shop Shenandoah for Christmas gifts.

December 3, 10, and 17^th kids can visit Santa at the Everly Brothers Childhood Home, 800 W. Sheridan Avenue, 2-4 p.m. He will have treats and gifts for the kids. Parents are welcome to take photos.

SCIA Marketing Director Shelly Warner encourages everyone to, “See Shenandoah’s beautiful downtown Christmas lights and shop small, shop local. Christmas is an important time for the viability of small businesses and restaurants. Shenandoah is fortunate to have such a retail variety to choose from,” Warner said. “Shenandoah’s lighting is unique. Each year our downtown trees grow suspending the icicle lights higher and higher. The city goes to great effort to continue to create this magical Christmas atmosphere downtown on Sheridan Avenue.”

SCIA is partnering with Forum to Revitalize Shenandoah for a children’s event December 17 “A Day at the North Pole” in the Historical Society Building, 100 S. Maple St. The event will include breakfast with Mrs. Claus 9- 10 a.m. with stories and crafts followed by Santa’s workshop shopping for kids to purchase gifts for Mom and Dad till 1 p.m. Donations of items or dollars for the merchandise are being accepted at Sorensen Auto Plaza. There will be a festive atmosphere and elves and Santa on hand to assist. Reservations are required for breakfast and space is limited to 50 kids. Call SCIA to reserve a spot 712-246-3455. More information for all the Christmas activities at www.sciaiowa.com.