Kateryna Lahun and her husband moved to Burlington from the Ukraine about a year ago, escaping the war-ravaged country to make better lives for themselves.

Like other Ukrainians living in Burlington — and across the country — Lahun and her husband have no idea how long they will get to stay. Their status as immigrants remains in limbo — a decision that will be made by the U.S. government.

All they can do is keep working and keep hoping. Both of them work as dental assistants at Community Health Center, and Lahun’s English has blossomed over the past 12 months. She was a dentist in Ukraine and is delighted to pursue the same profession in America.

“I’ve been studying it (English) all my life, but I needed to speak it. I needed to have conversations,” he said. “It was mostly book English that I learned.”

Both she and her husband have family back in the Ukraine they worry about, but the area they moved from wasn’t safe either.

“It was pretty dangerous. We live in a city that was very close to the (Ukraine-Russia) border,” Lahun said.

Her journey to America marks the beginning of a dental career that Lahun has studied for over the past couple of years. She’s only 24 years old.

“I need to go to two years of dental school here to get a license,” she said.

Lahun is filling a dire need in the Iowa medical profession and hopes that her efforts count for something when it comes to her immigration status. Back at their Burlington home, Lahun and her husband have been learning to live in a brand-new culture.

They aren’t used to how much everyone around them smiles — a common refrain among Ukrainians living in the Burlington area. She is more than happy to smile back.

“I really like that there is a lot of space here,” she said. “Big houses, big fields, and I like the people a lot. They’re different from Ukrainians.”

Lahun and her husband met in dental school and have been working together for the past four years. Despite her job, Lahun describes herself as a creative type. She knew she wanted to go into medicine to help people, but she has always possessed a desire to build and craft.

Dentistry was the perfect fit. There’s more building involved than most people realize.

“I love doing (teeth) restorations,” she said.

Friendships have been born in the dental office. Lahun has been so impressed by the locals that she has started a women’s group dedicated to fellowship and shared interests.

“Everyone can support each other, where we can gather and do different things,” Lahun said.

Lahun hosted the group’s first meeting last month and is planning another meeting for Nov. 1 — this time at The Burlington Public Library.

“I started with craft things, painting, just for fun events, but I want to go deeper. I want to do something like sport challenges, because in the group it will be easier to keep a healthy body, healthy mental stability,” she said. “For example, yoga challenges, different sports activities. We can travel together. I want to invite different specialists, like psychologists who can advise people, or we can have small lectures,” she said.

Lahun would also like the group to focus on everyday survival skills, such as cooking. She noted that it has been much harder to find healthy food since moving to America.

“We can cook something and bring it home to eat for a couple of weeks, and then gather together again and cook again. It’s much easier if you do it in a group,” she said.

But the women’s group isn’t just about practicality. It’s a place for women to relax — to be themselves. Lahun noted that it is&nbsp; a group for all women — not just Ukrainians.

“All people have two places they go — home and work. They need a third place where you can just relax, be yourself, and do something for fun,” she said.

There is no formal name for the group right now, and Lahun is still molding the overall concept. But she’s confident the group will help her feel more at home — and she hopes that goes for everyone — even those who already are at home.

As for her future in America, Lahun can only wait to see what happens. She doesn’t dwell on the uncertain waiting.

&nbsp;But like any Ukrainian who has emigrated, she wants nothing more than to stay in America — her new home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/11/1762729481155.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>By William SmithBurlington BeaconKateryna Lahun and her husband moved to Burlington from the Ukraine about a year ago, escaping the war-ravaged country to make better lives for themselves.Like other Ukrainians living in Burlington — and across the country — Lahun and her husband have no idea how long they will get to stay. Their status as immigrants remains in limbo — a decision that will be made by the U.S. government.All they can do is keep working and keep hoping. Both of them work as dental assistants at Community Health Center, and Lahun’s English has blossomed over the past 12 months. She was a dentist in Ukraine and is delighted to pursue the same profession in America.“I’ve been studying it (English) all my life, but I needed to speak it. I needed to have conversations,” he said. “It was mostly book English that I learned.”Both she and her husband have family back in the Ukraine they worry about, but the area they moved from wasn’t safe either.“It was pretty dangerous. We live in a city that was very close to the (Ukraine-Russia) border,” Lahun said.Her journey to America marks the beginning of a dental career that Lahun has studied for over the past couple of years. She’s only 24 years old.“I need to go to two years of dental school here to get a license,” she said.Lahun is filling a dire need in the Iowa medical profession and hopes that her efforts count for something when it comes to her immigration status. Back at their Burlington home, Lahun and her husband have been learning to live in a brand-new culture.They aren’t used to how much everyone around them smiles — a common refrain among Ukrainians living in the Burlington area. She is more than happy to smile back.“I really like that there is a lot of space here,” she said. “Big houses, big fields, and I like the people a lot. They’re different from Ukrainians.”Lahun and her husband met in dental school and have been working together for the past four years. Despite her job, Lahun describes herself as a creative type. She knew she wanted to go into medicine to help people, but she has always possessed a desire to build and craft.Dentistry was the perfect fit. There’s more building involved than most people realize.“I love doing (teeth) restorations,” she said.Friendships have been born in the dental office. Lahun has been so impressed by the locals that she has started a women’s group dedicated to fellowship and shared interests.“Everyone can support each other, where we can gather and do different things,” Lahun said.Lahun hosted the group’s first meeting last month and is planning another meeting for Nov. 1 — this time at The Burlington Public Library.“I started with craft things, painting, just for fun events, but I want to go deeper. I want to do something like sport challenges, because in the group it will be easier to keep a healthy body, healthy mental stability,” she said. “For example, yoga challenges, different sports activities. We can travel together. I want to invite different specialists, like psychologists who can advise people, or we can have small lectures,” she said.Lahun would also like the group to focus on everyday survival skills, such as cooking. She noted that it has been much harder to find healthy food since moving to America.“We can cook something and bring it home to eat for a couple of weeks, and then gather together again and cook again. It’s much easier if you do it in a group,” she said.But the women’s group isn’t just about practicality. It’s a place for women to relax — to be themselves. Lahun noted that it is&nbsp; a group for all women — not just Ukrainians.“All people have two places they go — home and work. They need a third place where you can just relax, be yourself, and do something for fun,” she said.There is no formal name for the group right now, and Lahun is still molding the overall concept. But she’s confident the group will help her feel more at home — and she hopes that goes for everyone — even those who already are at home.“I want to be social,” she said.As for her future in America, Lahun can only wait to see what happens. She doesn’t dwell on the uncertain waiting.&nbsp;But like any Ukrainian who has emigrated, she wants nothing more than to stay in America — her new home.“I love it here,” she said.&nbsp;

52 FACES:  With a smile  and a dream

For John Oliver Jr., racing is in his blood, and not just because his father, grandfather, and uncle are also racers.

It’s almost an addiction to him, and that’s why he races not just one but two cars every Saturday night at his home track, 34 Raceway.

He also races his stock car at Columbus Junction every Friday and Vinton every Sunday.

Oliver Jr. competes in the Modified class at 34, a car owned by Dennis LaVeine, as well as his own stock car, and has been successful in both classes.

Oliver Jr. just finished claiming another Stock Car class points title, the 27th&nbsp;in his career, and he placed second in the Modified class.

He also has more than 280 feature victory trophies along the top shelf of his race shop, and they’ve been in different classes.

He is also vying for a title in the IMCA circuit nationwide. Because the certified tracks are uniform, drivers can build up points without having to race in tracks across the country.

At 50, Oliver Jr. knows he’ll have to quit driving eventually.

“It’s not an old man’s sport,” he said, and it’s not just slower reflexes.

“By the time you work your full-time job, and then you come home, and then you just stay up too late working on stuff,” Oliver Jr. said, and he owns his own business, Oliver Heating and Air.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy to know when to quit.

“They don’t have a counselor for racing,” Oliver Jr. said, meaning, “It’s worse than drugs. At least if you get into drugs, you might be able to get out of it.

“Once racing is in your blood, it’s there. Don’t get into it unless you know you want to.”

“My wife loves racing,” Oliver Jr. said. “Honestly, I’d have probably been out of it a few years ago if she didn’t like racing as much as she does.”

But also, “I’ve driven for multiple people, and it’s been a lot of fun driving for them.”

Oliver Jr.’s grandfather, when he lived in Wisconsin, started racing in the early 1950s. In the 1970s, he moved back to southeast Iowa. That’s about when John Oliver Sr. began racing.

They raced at Lee County Speedway, Keokuk Raceland, and in Memphis, Mo., Oliver Jr. said.

Then Oliver Sr. quit, not returning to the driver’s seat until the 1990s, when his son was graduating from high school. He raced until 2010 when he was 50.

“He and my grandpa got me into racing in ‘98,” Oliver Jr. said. He raced at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson as well as at 34.

His grandfather never really quit. “I drove for grandpa in the 2000s, and I really didn’t drive for myself much until 2010 or so,” Oliver Jr. said.

“It’s 30 laps a night that I don’t have to think about nothing but driving a car,” Oliver Jr. said as to what made him get into racing besides the family connection. “I don’t have to think about the business. I don’t have to think about anything.

“So is it a lot of work? Racing is a ton of work. It’s more than sometimes my full-time job,” he said.

“But it’s what I enjoy to do right?”

Although feature winners get paid, Oliver Jr. said it doesn’t pay the cost of racing.

“All, at the end of it, I’ll have to show for it is trophies and coats,” which are the prizes for the season titles.

Oliver Jr.’s sponsors are: X-treme Impact, A&amp;B Roofing, LaVeine Sanitation, Cash 4 Junk Cars, B&amp;B Racing Shocks, and Mid-State Machine.

His pit crew consists of his wife, his father, Justin “Popeye” Stevenson, and the Timmermans: Devon, Amy, Tasker, and Teager.

For those who don’t follow the sport, it may be difficult to go from the middle or especially the back of the pack at the start to work your way up to the front.

“You’ve got to have a good handling car to start with,” Oliver Jr. said.&nbsp;

“You drive your hardest and try to drive your cleanest, without anybody getting upset, right? You just try to pass whatever cars you can.”

“The IMCA Stock Car class is so even, you’ve got to try to drive faster through the corner,” Oliver Jr. said.

That’s where he has the most fun, he said. “You just see how hard you can bury that car in the corner without spinning it out.”

That’s why he would never do drag racing.

“I’d have to go to the end of the drag strip, slam on the brakes, and come back the other way,” Oliver Jr. said.

As for his fellow auto racers, “There’s a lot of drivers I have a lot of respect for that have come up,” Oliver Jr. said. Besides his father and grandfather, he mentioned LaVeine, Darin Thye, and John Schultz.

“I grew up watching (Schultz),” Oliver Jr. said. “That guy, no matter what he drove, he was on the cushion, and he was fast.

“It’s sad to see that a lot of these people that you grew up watching aren’t racing anymore, but you also understand why,” and that’s where the age issue came up.

Oliver Jr. said he’ll never completely get out of racing. He’ll just join a pit crew for another driver.

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/9/1757536422079.jpeg" alt="John Oliver Jr.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>John Oliver Jr.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By Chris FaulknerFor John Oliver Jr., racing is in his blood, and not just because his father, grandfather, and uncle are also racers.It’s almost an addiction to him, and that’s why he races not just one but two cars every Saturday night at his home track, 34 Raceway.He also races his stock car at Columbus Junction every Friday and Vinton every Sunday.Oliver Jr. competes in the Modified class at 34, a car owned by Dennis LaVeine, as well as his own stock car, and has been successful in both classes.Oliver Jr. just finished claiming another Stock Car class points title, the 27th&nbsp;in his career, and he placed second in the Modified class.He also has more than 280 feature victory trophies along the top shelf of his race shop, and they’ve been in different classes.He is also vying for a title in the IMCA circuit nationwide. Because the certified tracks are uniform, drivers can build up points without having to race in tracks across the country.At 50, Oliver Jr. knows he’ll have to quit driving eventually.“It’s not an old man’s sport,” he said, and it’s not just slower reflexes.“By the time you work your full-time job, and then you come home, and then you just stay up too late working on stuff,” Oliver Jr. said, and he owns his own business, Oliver Heating and Air.That doesn’t mean it’s easy to know when to quit.“They don’t have a counselor for racing,” Oliver Jr. said, meaning, “It’s worse than drugs. At least if you get into drugs, you might be able to get out of it.“Once racing is in your blood, it’s there. Don’t get into it unless you know you want to.”But his wife, Diane, spurs him on.“My wife loves racing,” Oliver Jr. said. “Honestly, I’d have probably been out of it a few years ago if she didn’t like racing as much as she does.”But also, “I’ve driven for multiple people, and it’s been a lot of fun driving for them.”Following FamilyOliver Jr.’s grandfather, when he lived in Wisconsin, started racing in the early 1950s. In the 1970s, he moved back to southeast Iowa. That’s about when John Oliver Sr. began racing.They raced at Lee County Speedway, Keokuk Raceland, and in Memphis, Mo., Oliver Jr. said.Then Oliver Sr. quit, not returning to the driver’s seat until the 1990s, when his son was graduating from high school. He raced until 2010 when he was 50.“He and my grandpa got me into racing in ‘98,” Oliver Jr. said. He raced at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson as well as at 34.His grandfather never really quit. “I drove for grandpa in the 2000s, and I really didn’t drive for myself much until 2010 or so,” Oliver Jr. said.“It’s 30 laps a night that I don’t have to think about nothing but driving a car,” Oliver Jr. said as to what made him get into racing besides the family connection. “I don’t have to think about the business. I don’t have to think about anything.“So is it a lot of work? Racing is a ton of work. It’s more than sometimes my full-time job,” he said.“But it’s what I enjoy to do right?”Although feature winners get paid, Oliver Jr. said it doesn’t pay the cost of racing.“All, at the end of it, I’ll have to show for it is trophies and coats,” which are the prizes for the season titles.Oliver Jr.’s sponsors are: X-treme Impact, A&amp;B Roofing, LaVeine Sanitation, Cash 4 Junk Cars, B&amp;B Racing Shocks, and Mid-State Machine.His pit crew consists of his wife, his father, Justin “Popeye” Stevenson, and the Timmermans: Devon, Amy, Tasker, and Teager.Corners Are KeyFor those who don’t follow the sport, it may be difficult to go from the middle or especially the back of the pack at the start to work your way up to the front.“You’ve got to have a good handling car to start with,” Oliver Jr. said.&nbsp;“You drive your hardest and try to drive your cleanest, without anybody getting upset, right? You just try to pass whatever cars you can.”Handling the corners is the key.“The IMCA Stock Car class is so even, you’ve got to try to drive faster through the corner,” Oliver Jr. said.That’s where he has the most fun, he said. “You just see how hard you can bury that car in the corner without spinning it out.”That’s why he would never do drag racing.“I’d have to go to the end of the drag strip, slam on the brakes, and come back the other way,” Oliver Jr. said.As for his fellow auto racers, “There’s a lot of drivers I have a lot of respect for that have come up,” Oliver Jr. said. Besides his father and grandfather, he mentioned LaVeine, Darin Thye, and John Schultz.“I grew up watching (Schultz),” Oliver Jr. said. “That guy, no matter what he drove, he was on the cushion, and he was fast.“It’s sad to see that a lot of these people that you grew up watching aren’t racing anymore, but you also understand why,” and that’s where the age issue came up.Oliver Jr. said he’ll never completely get out of racing. He’ll just join a pit crew for another driver.

52 FACES: ‘Once racing is in your blood, it’s there'

Erin Campbell — better known as Titan Broadcasting DJ Jolene Jett — lived much of her life without even thinking about it.

Life just happened, and Campbell went along with it — until she just couldn’t anymore.

“Back in 2008, when I was living in Memphis, Tenn., I had my daughter, and I was on maternity leave, and I had a lot more free time to sit and think and reflect. And I got tired of watching daytime TV filling my mind with crap,” she said.

Campbell wanted to do something more with her life. She wanted to reinvent the way she looks at the world. She started watching religious channels and reading inspirational self-help books, searching out clues that would lead to self-rejuvenation.

“There’s got to be something more to this, right?” she said about her life at the time. “I’ve checked all the boxes. I bought the house. I graduated from school.”

That’s how Campbell developed her own method of positivity, which she calls JoyKwonDo. That translates to “punching with joy,” Campbell said.

But there’s no actual punching. JoyKwonDo is something completely different.

“There are three JoyKwonDo principles I’ve come up with over the years,” she said. “Number one — everything is fine. Number two — nice people get stuff. And number three — happy people can’t be defeated.”

It sounds simple, and Campbell noted that there is a distinction between acting nice due to obligations and politeness.

Finding joy in being nice requires more courage.

“The type of nice that comes from a place of confidence and fearlessness,” she said. “We already have it in us, but we only tend to use it when we feel safe and secure in our surroundings.”

Finding that confidence is the heart of JoyKwonDo, and it’s not easy. For most of her life, Campbell was a “don’t rock the boat” kind of gal. Like most people, she was more interested in keeping the peace.

It’s an informal art, and Campbell is happy to teach anyone — free of charge. JoyKwonDo is not a commodity, she said. It’s just a different way of living that anyone can adopt. She would like to open a studio in the future to teach.

“I was so vanilla. I was working a desk job, just doing what I was supposed to do. I was bored. I forgot how to be fun, and I wanted to be fun again, because I liked me when I was fun,” Campbell said.

Campbell was born in Southern California and raised in Prescott, Arizona. She described it as “just like Burlington.” She was raised on MTV and saw a future for herself in the fringes of the music industry.

She studied music business and entertainment in college, and was obsessed with music videos. Ironically enough, she wouldn’t get a chance to use that knowledge until she became a DJ for Titan Broadcasting a few years ago.

“I could talk about that stuff for hours, which is why I’m uniquely perfect for this job. However, I have always loved popular music, even when riding my bike around. I even had a radio on it. I’d be listening to “November Rain,” right? That was my jam,” Campbell said.

Campbell moved with her family to Memphis shortly before starting high school and was surprised that it wasn’t the musical mecca she had expected it to be. Sun Studios, which hosted some of the first recordings from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, was the only major attraction, she said.

Campbell had grown disillusioned with high school by the time she became a senior, but she rebounded at the University of Memphis. She was aided by a scholarship for her proficiency with the clarinet.

Campbell found inspiration in one of her instructors and wanted to pursue a career further in the music industry. But she had a new husband and daughter, and pursuing music didn’t sound very practical at the time.

“I found myself stuck, because there really isn’t a lot of music in Memphis,” she said. “There’s some hip-hop stuff, some grassroots stuff, but nothing real big. I was working at a chiropractic office.”

When Campbell’s sister moved to San Diego, Calif., Campbell decided to take her daughter and join her. Her 1-year-old daughter had a whole life of discovery ahead of her. Campbell wanted to be the kind of person who would make her daughter proud.

“That meant telling my then-husband that we’re selling the house and everything, and moving to San Diego,” she said. Campbell was able to continue her work for the chiropractic business in California, and everything else fell into place.

Campbell and her daughter moved to Burlington in 2020. She was working remotely for a software company in California, but when the pandemic occurred, her role was gradually eliminated. She wasn’t asked to leave, but she felt her role was becoming less critical.

So Campbell came up with another idea while sitting in a Walmart parking lot. She does her best thinking in Walmart parking lots.

“I was thinking about everything I’ve done and what I want to do, and I wanted to get back into the music stuff and TV stuff. And it just like hit me. I need to be in radio,” Campbell said.

Three weeks after expressing her interest in a DJ job at Titan Broadcasting, someone submitted their notice.&nbsp; And Campbell began her radio career as an intern without a lick of DJ experience.

When she was promoted to DJ, Campbell had to decide between her remote software job — a choice between money and happiness.

She didn’t have to think about it long.

“I had to say goodbye to the corporate job,&nbsp; though, which was a significant pay cut. And I am completely at peace about it. Like I wasn’t scared about it at all,” she said.

Right now, Erin Campbell, or Jolene Jett, which she has adopted as a personality beyond the pseudonym, is exactly who she wants to be right now.

“I could do this (working as a DJ) all day. I could stay here until seven o’clock at night, and I’ve been here since 5:30 this morning. I love it,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/9/1756944654816.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>By William SmithErin Campbell — better known as Titan Broadcasting DJ Jolene Jett — lived much of her life without even thinking about it.Life just happened, and Campbell went along with it — until she just couldn’t anymore.“Back in 2008, when I was living in Memphis, Tenn., I had my daughter, and I was on maternity leave, and I had a lot more free time to sit and think and reflect. And I got tired of watching daytime TV filling my mind with crap,” she said.Campbell wanted to do something more with her life. She wanted to reinvent the way she looks at the world. She started watching religious channels and reading inspirational self-help books, searching out clues that would lead to self-rejuvenation.“There’s got to be something more to this, right?” she said about her life at the time. “I’ve checked all the boxes. I bought the house. I graduated from school.”That’s how Campbell developed her own method of positivity, which she calls JoyKwonDo. That translates to “punching with joy,” Campbell said.But there’s no actual punching. JoyKwonDo is something completely different.“There are three JoyKwonDo principles I’ve come up with over the years,” she said. “Number one — everything is fine. Number two — nice people get stuff. And number three — happy people can’t be defeated.”It sounds simple, and Campbell noted that there is a distinction between acting nice due to obligations and politeness.Finding joy in being nice requires more courage.“The type of nice that comes from a place of confidence and fearlessness,” she said. “We already have it in us, but we only tend to use it when we feel safe and secure in our surroundings.”Finding that confidence is the heart of JoyKwonDo, and it’s not easy. For most of her life, Campbell was a “don’t rock the boat” kind of gal. Like most people, she was more interested in keeping the peace.It’s an informal art, and Campbell is happy to teach anyone — free of charge. JoyKwonDo is not a commodity, she said. It’s just a different way of living that anyone can adopt. She would like to open a studio in the future to teach.“I was so vanilla. I was working a desk job, just doing what I was supposed to do. I was bored. I forgot how to be fun, and I wanted to be fun again, because I liked me when I was fun,” Campbell said.Growing Up in ArizonaCampbell was born in Southern California and raised in Prescott, Arizona. She described it as “just like Burlington.” She was raised on MTV and saw a future for herself in the fringes of the music industry.She studied music business and entertainment in college, and was obsessed with music videos. Ironically enough, she wouldn’t get a chance to use that knowledge until she became a DJ for Titan Broadcasting a few years ago.“I could talk about that stuff for hours, which is why I’m uniquely perfect for this job. However, I have always loved popular music, even when riding my bike around. I even had a radio on it. I’d be listening to “November Rain,” right? That was my jam,” Campbell said.Campbell moved with her family to Memphis shortly before starting high school and was surprised that it wasn’t the musical mecca she had expected it to be. Sun Studios, which hosted some of the first recordings from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, was the only major attraction, she said.Campbell had grown disillusioned with high school by the time she became a senior, but she rebounded at the University of Memphis. She was aided by a scholarship for her proficiency with the clarinet.Campbell found inspiration in one of her instructors and wanted to pursue a career further in the music industry. But she had a new husband and daughter, and pursuing music didn’t sound very practical at the time.“I found myself stuck, because there really isn’t a lot of music in Memphis,” she said. “There’s some hip-hop stuff, some grassroots stuff, but nothing real big. I was working at a chiropractic office.”When Campbell’s sister moved to San Diego, Calif., Campbell decided to take her daughter and join her. Her 1-year-old daughter had a whole life of discovery ahead of her. Campbell wanted to be the kind of person who would make her daughter proud.“That meant telling my then-husband that we’re selling the house and everything, and moving to San Diego,” she said. Campbell was able to continue her work for the chiropractic business in California, and everything else fell into place.Arriving in BurlingtonCampbell and her daughter moved to Burlington in 2020. She was working remotely for a software company in California, but when the pandemic occurred, her role was gradually eliminated. She wasn’t asked to leave, but she felt her role was becoming less critical.So Campbell came up with another idea while sitting in a Walmart parking lot. She does her best thinking in Walmart parking lots.“I was thinking about everything I’ve done and what I want to do, and I wanted to get back into the music stuff and TV stuff. And it just like hit me. I need to be in radio,” Campbell said.Three weeks after expressing her interest in a DJ job at Titan Broadcasting, someone submitted their notice.&nbsp; And Campbell began her radio career as an intern without a lick of DJ experience.When she was promoted to DJ, Campbell had to decide between her remote software job — a choice between money and happiness.She didn’t have to think about it long.“I had to say goodbye to the corporate job,&nbsp; though, which was a significant pay cut. And I am completely at peace about it. Like I wasn’t scared about it at all,” she said.Right now, Erin Campbell, or Jolene Jett, which she has adopted as a personality beyond the pseudonym, is exactly who she wants to be right now.There’s no greater peace than that.“I could do this (working as a DJ) all day. I could stay here until seven o’clock at night, and I’ve been here since 5:30 this morning. I love it,” she said.

52 FACES: Spinning joy

Tomi Hagan never ran in high school and didn’t even do fun runs as a young adult.

“I used to say, ‘I don’t even run when something’s chasing me,’ ” Hagan said. “I would just lie down and play dead. It’s safer that way.”

Yet two years ago, Hagan ran a 50-kilometer (31-mile) race for her 50th&nbsp;birthday. She had already run a half-marathon before that.

However, her longest endeavor has been a 100-mile race, and this past May, she ran her second such distance in the annual Keys Race, which starts in Key Largo, Fla., and ends in Key West.

Hagan finished first in the 50-54 age group, running, walking, taking food and bathroom breaks, and completing the challenge in 25 hours, 52 minutes, and 19 seconds.

That’s five hours faster than last year.

As reference points, this year’s overall winner, Brett Sanborn of Albuquerque, New Mexico, finished in 14:21:41, and the top female, Nicole Coccia of Riverview, Fla., finished in 18:24:42.

Hagan placed 46th&nbsp;out of the 131 who finished, not counting the dozens of runners who started but didn’t finish.

Her daughter-in-law, Jacey Hagan, served as her crew chief and helped Hagan become more efficient during breaks, thereby reducing the overall time.

Her son, Bryar, and her husband, Troy, also served as part of the crew.

Although her family supports her, “They think it’s a little nutty,” Hagan said of her long-distance runs.

Hagan grew up in South Dakota, moved to Missouri in 1995, and started working at the hospital in Burlington in 2018. She and Troy still have a home in Missouri.

In 2021, Hagan finally took her first running step. “I had a neighbor I worked out with at the gym,” she said. “She talked me into doing some run-walking a little bit.”

A few years earlier, she had met her dad for the first time, having found him on&nbsp;ancestry.com. He was in South Dakota, where she grew up, and after she started running, they would run together whenever she visited. Her first big race was with him at the Rock and Roll 10K in Las Vegas.

“It just kind of blossomed from there,” Hagan said.

A half-marathon (13 miles) was next, but she soon had bigger ambitions.

She was 49 when she heard a podcaster say that people should look for Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals.

“I thought, ‘I need a BHAG goal, and I’m going to run an ultramarathon,” she said, the shortest of which is a 50K.

The 50K was a trail race, and those are her favorites because of the terrain and the challenges.

Hagan then ran the Keys race in 2024 and, in March of this year, ran the Glades 50-mile run, also in Florida.

“That was my son-in-law’s first ultramarathon,” she said of Jade Slaughter.

“There were gators and snakes and all those things.”

They are now training for the Black Hills 100 in her home state.

“My dad is going to come out and pace me some,” Hagan said.

At the Keys event, Hagan suffered a leg cramp.

“I was scared when I first got separated from my running partners, and I was alone,” Hagan said. “I was really terrified.”

But Jacey, who doesn’t run, ended up pacing her for an eight-mile stretch and nine more later on.

“We shared a sunset on the Seven-mile Bridge, which is something I’ll never forget,” Hagan said.

As for sleep, there’s no rule against naps, but Hagan doesn’t even do those, and she doesn’t get much sleep the night before a race because she’s too nervous.

“Afterwards, it takes several days to get your sleep back to regulated,” she said. “You don’t sleep more than four to six hours at a time.”

As daunting a task as those races would be for most of the population, when it comes time to find a bathroom, “That’s probably about one of the most stressful parts,” Hagan said.

“When I stopped at mile 95, the gas station wasn’t open yet.

I thought there would be a porta-potty at 98. Literally from mile 92 to the end, I really had to go to the bathroom, and I just had to wait,” she said.

Hagan lives downtown, and that’s one of her training spots.

“When I’m running in the morning before work, it’s up and down Jefferson and Main and down by the river,” Hagan said.

She also runs by Starr’s Cave and at Geode State Park.

“We’re really lucky here,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of good places to get out and move.”

She’ll run for 45 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, alternating between easy runs, hill work, and speed work. There’s a group that does a Run to the Pub downtown on Thursdays.

Leading into a 100-mile race, she’ll run 20 miles three days in a row and then three 10-hour runs two to four hours apart.

“I listen to a lot of podcasts,” she said. “It’s very nice to have that time to myself.”

Next year, Hagan plans on running two 100-mile races in June and October. She’ll take on a 200-mile race in 2027.

“My goal is to run as long as I can physically do it,” she said.

“The race director from Keys is 81, and he just finished the 135-mile race Badwater through the desert.” It’s in Death Valley, California. “He is my hero.”

“My biggest message is (that) everybody can do more than they think they can,” Hagan said. “You’re capable of a lot more than you realize.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/9/1756709551140.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>By Chris FaulknerTomi Hagan never ran in high school and didn’t even do fun runs as a young adult.“I used to say, ‘I don’t even run when something’s chasing me,’ ” Hagan said. “I would just lie down and play dead. It’s safer that way.”Yet two years ago, Hagan ran a 50-kilometer (31-mile) race for her 50th&nbsp;birthday. She had already run a half-marathon before that.However, her longest endeavor has been a 100-mile race, and this past May, she ran her second such distance in the annual Keys Race, which starts in Key Largo, Fla., and ends in Key West.Hagan finished first in the 50-54 age group, running, walking, taking food and bathroom breaks, and completing the challenge in 25 hours, 52 minutes, and 19 seconds.That’s five hours faster than last year.As reference points, this year’s overall winner, Brett Sanborn of Albuquerque, New Mexico, finished in 14:21:41, and the top female, Nicole Coccia of Riverview, Fla., finished in 18:24:42.Hagan placed 46th&nbsp;out of the 131 who finished, not counting the dozens of runners who started but didn’t finish.Her daughter-in-law, Jacey Hagan, served as her crew chief and helped Hagan become more efficient during breaks, thereby reducing the overall time.Her son, Bryar, and her husband, Troy, also served as part of the crew.Although her family supports her, “They think it’s a little nutty,” Hagan said of her long-distance runs.Started in Her 40sHagan grew up in South Dakota, moved to Missouri in 1995, and started working at the hospital in Burlington in 2018. She and Troy still have a home in Missouri.In 2021, Hagan finally took her first running step. “I had a neighbor I worked out with at the gym,” she said. “She talked me into doing some run-walking a little bit.”A few years earlier, she had met her dad for the first time, having found him on&nbsp;ancestry.com. He was in South Dakota, where she grew up, and after she started running, they would run together whenever she visited. Her first big race was with him at the Rock and Roll 10K in Las Vegas.“It just kind of blossomed from there,” Hagan said.A half-marathon (13 miles) was next, but she soon had bigger ambitions.She was 49 when she heard a podcaster say that people should look for Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals.“I thought, ‘I need a BHAG goal, and I’m going to run an ultramarathon,” she said, the shortest of which is a 50K.The 50K was a trail race, and those are her favorites because of the terrain and the challenges.Hagan then ran the Keys race in 2024 and, in March of this year, ran the Glades 50-mile run, also in Florida.“That was my son-in-law’s first ultramarathon,” she said of Jade Slaughter.“There were gators and snakes and all those things.”They are now training for the Black Hills 100 in her home state.“My dad is going to come out and pace me some,” Hagan said.Separation AnxietyAt the Keys event, Hagan suffered a leg cramp.“I was scared when I first got separated from my running partners, and I was alone,” Hagan said. “I was really terrified.”But Jacey, who doesn’t run, ended up pacing her for an eight-mile stretch and nine more later on.“We shared a sunset on the Seven-mile Bridge, which is something I’ll never forget,” Hagan said.As for sleep, there’s no rule against naps, but Hagan doesn’t even do those, and she doesn’t get much sleep the night before a race because she’s too nervous.“Afterwards, it takes several days to get your sleep back to regulated,” she said. “You don’t sleep more than four to six hours at a time.”As daunting a task as those races would be for most of the population, when it comes time to find a bathroom, “That’s probably about one of the most stressful parts,” Hagan said.“When I stopped at mile 95, the gas station wasn’t open yet.I thought there would be a porta-potty at 98. Literally from mile 92 to the end, I really had to go to the bathroom, and I just had to wait,” she said.Training SpotsHagan lives downtown, and that’s one of her training spots.“When I’m running in the morning before work, it’s up and down Jefferson and Main and down by the river,” Hagan said.She also runs by Starr’s Cave and at Geode State Park.“We’re really lucky here,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of good places to get out and move.”She’ll run for 45 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, alternating between easy runs, hill work, and speed work. There’s a group that does a Run to the Pub downtown on Thursdays.Leading into a 100-mile race, she’ll run 20 miles three days in a row and then three 10-hour runs two to four hours apart.“I listen to a lot of podcasts,” she said. “It’s very nice to have that time to myself.”Double the FunNext year, Hagan plans on running two 100-mile races in June and October. She’ll take on a 200-mile race in 2027.“My goal is to run as long as I can physically do it,” she said.“The race director from Keys is 81, and he just finished the 135-mile race Badwater through the desert.” It’s in Death Valley, California. “He is my hero.”“My biggest message is (that) everybody can do more than they think they can,” Hagan said. “You’re capable of a lot more than you realize.”

Finding strength in her stride

With school back in session, weekends feel more important than ever —and there’s plenty of arts and entertainment to look forward to!

Start things off with some laughs at Open Comedy Night at The Night Cap on Thursday from 7-10 p.m. Whether you’re an experienced comedian or just looking to try out a few jokes, everyone is welcome.

Music at SCC presents a night of exciting jazz at the Night Cap this Friday from 8-10 p.m. The drinks you'll have to pay for, but the music and good times are free of charge as usual.

The Daniel Pappas Quintet is made up of a mix of SCC faculty, current students, alumni, and community members. The theme for the evening is the letter "B," with tunes either beginning with the letter "B" or featuring the last name of their composers. You may even hear some jazzy Beatles tunes if you listen closely.

But wait, there's more: lots of special guests! Little Georgie Pappas returns for some of her favorite new songs, and we have two guest saxophone players with Carlos Tecpanecatl returning to the stage, and with Denise Johnson making her Night Cap debut. Jack Hanks will also be making his Night Cap debut, joining on the vibraphone.

It’s the final weekend of The Drake’s Summer Music Patio Series. Friday from 6-9 p.m., enjoy Iowa Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famers Gary &amp; Jeff bringing their guitars, music, and stories to the patio. Sean Kistler will close out the season with a set of everyone’s favorites.&nbsp;

Saturday is packed with a variety of entertainment. Broken Chair Improv, an emerging local improv group, takes the stage at Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are $25 online and include catering from Wake N Bake Breakfast Company. All seating is at tables, and spots are limited. This show is intended for a mature audience; attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

Enjoy more live music Saturday night. La Boheme hosts Oskaloosa-based singer-songwriter Brittany Sword from 8-10 p.m. with her American Alternative Pop Rock sound. Over at The Night Cap, jazz favorite Matt Landon returns from 8-10 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/8/1756475983134.jpeg" alt="Pappas&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Pappas&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;Elizabeth PappasArts &amp; Entertainment&nbsp;With school back in session, weekends feel more important than ever —and there’s plenty of arts and entertainment to look forward to!Start things off with some laughs at Open Comedy Night at The Night Cap on Thursday from 7-10 p.m. Whether you’re an experienced comedian or just looking to try out a few jokes, everyone is welcome.Music at SCC presents a night of exciting jazz at the Night Cap this Friday from 8-10 p.m. The drinks you'll have to pay for, but the music and good times are free of charge as usual.The Daniel Pappas Quintet is made up of a mix of SCC faculty, current students, alumni, and community members. The theme for the evening is the letter "B," with tunes either beginning with the letter "B" or featuring the last name of their composers. You may even hear some jazzy Beatles tunes if you listen closely.But wait, there's more: lots of special guests! Little Georgie Pappas returns for some of her favorite new songs, and we have two guest saxophone players with Carlos Tecpanecatl returning to the stage, and with Denise Johnson making her Night Cap debut. Jack Hanks will also be making his Night Cap debut, joining on the vibraphone.It’s the final weekend of The Drake’s Summer Music Patio Series. Friday from 6-9 p.m., enjoy Iowa Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famers Gary &amp; Jeff bringing their guitars, music, and stories to the patio. Sean Kistler will close out the season with a set of everyone’s favorites.&nbsp;Saturday is packed with a variety of entertainment. Broken Chair Improv, an emerging local improv group, takes the stage at Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are $25 online and include catering from Wake N Bake Breakfast Company. All seating is at tables, and spots are limited. This show is intended for a mature audience; attendees must be 21 years of age or older.Enjoy more live music Saturday night. La Boheme hosts Oskaloosa-based singer-songwriter Brittany Sword from 8-10 p.m. with her American Alternative Pop Rock sound. Over at The Night Cap, jazz favorite Matt Landon returns from 8-10 p.m.

Jazz and More: A Weekend Full of Entertainment

Jessi Tucci enjoys teaching pottery to children, creating mugs and vases for clients, and crafting items just for herself.

“I also just like being up to my elbows in mud,” said Tucci, the ceramics studio manager at the Art Center of Burlington.

She also works with Hope Haven and Self Alliance students off-site, as well as at the Fort Madison Area Art Center and the Make It Place in Washington.

Tucci teaches children from third grade on up to adults, but her primary focus is on teenagers because that’s when they can start working with a pottery wheel.

Tucci grew up in Oceanside, N.Y., on Long Island and didn’t come to Burlington until 2017.

“I followed my parents, who followed someone else, who followed somebody else,” Tucci said of her parents, Susie and Bernard Boyer.

“I found out that this area was affordable. Growing up in an apartment my whole life, I was able to buy a house here.”

Her parents moved to Mount Pleasant, but after Tucci graduated from college, “I wanted to find some kind of ceramic studio and Burlington had it,” she said.

However, Long Island has a distinct culture with numerous amenities that surpass those of Burlington.

“I think that I lost some things by leaving the city, but I gained a lot more,” Tucci said.&nbsp;

She thought she would live in Manhattan her entire life.

“But my college was in a small town,” she said of Alfred University (1,463 students) in Alfred, N.Y. (population 5,471), “and I got a really nice feel for what a small town was like.”

“I was doing painting and drawing for a really long time,” Tucci said of her childhood. But in high school, “I ended up in one ceramic class and just never stopped.”

Alfred University is a renowned institution for ceramic engineering.&nbsp;

“They taught me glazed chemistry,” Tucci said, “so I mixed my own glazes. I can tell you what each chemical or material does to the glaze. How do you get color? How do you get it to move?”

Watching a potter create a product, such as the more common pieces like mugs and vases, is a sight to see, as it’s a small amount of clay that grows into a larger-sized end product.

“When I first started making mugs,” Tucci said, “I didn’t have the skill to make the mugs, so they were eight to 10 ounces because clay shrinks significantly by the time it gets through the whole process.”

However, over time, she was able to reduce the amount of clay used to make larger mugs; a 32-ounce mug now requires only a pound and a half of clay, “because I’ve learned how to manipulate the clay thinner,” Tucci said.

Watching the clay grow on the potter’s wheel turns out to be a metaphor for Tucci as a teacher.

“The kids that I’ve been working with since 2017, when I got here, watching them grow is awesome,” Tucci said.

The high school students that she taught in wheel sessions this summer have been learning from her since second and third grades.

Besides teaching, Tucci does commission work.

Tucci creates decorative work for clients, but she enjoys the practical products the most.

“When somebody buys an expensive handmade mug, that’s going to be their go-to mug,” she said.

“I want my stuff to be used, and I want them eventually to break on the person, because that means they’re loving it and using it because it’s around.”

She even asks people to take a selfie of themselves drinking out of the mug and send it to her.

She used to have a 33 percent success rate of how much of her effort turned into a finished product.

But 16 years into her career, she’s now at a 66 percent success rate. She’ll throw away a third of her molds before she even gets it into the first firing.

“Because I’ve got 12-15 boxes of finished pottery in my garage, and so if it isn’t exactly what I want, I will just smash the clay before the firing, rehydrate it, and use that clay again,” Tucci said.

“After you do something over and over again, you start kind of perfecting and diagnosing why it may have failed,” she said.

“That’s a philosophy of life, isn’t it? I always say, I fail with grace. I put that in my pottery theory, but it’s life, too. If I fail, I just gotta try again. If I fail, I just gotta try again.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/8/1756303769295.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>By Chris FaulknerJessi Tucci enjoys teaching pottery to children, creating mugs and vases for clients, and crafting items just for herself.“I also just like being up to my elbows in mud,” said Tucci, the ceramics studio manager at the Art Center of Burlington.She also works with Hope Haven and Self Alliance students off-site, as well as at the Fort Madison Area Art Center and the Make It Place in Washington.Tucci teaches children from third grade on up to adults, but her primary focus is on teenagers because that’s when they can start working with a pottery wheel.Midwest TransplantTucci grew up in Oceanside, N.Y., on Long Island and didn’t come to Burlington until 2017.“I followed my parents, who followed someone else, who followed somebody else,” Tucci said of her parents, Susie and Bernard Boyer.“I found out that this area was affordable. Growing up in an apartment my whole life, I was able to buy a house here.”Her parents moved to Mount Pleasant, but after Tucci graduated from college, “I wanted to find some kind of ceramic studio and Burlington had it,” she said.However, Long Island has a distinct culture with numerous amenities that surpass those of Burlington.“I think that I lost some things by leaving the city, but I gained a lot more,” Tucci said.&nbsp;“There’s a balance.”She thought she would live in Manhattan her entire life.“But my college was in a small town,” she said of Alfred University (1,463 students) in Alfred, N.Y. (population 5,471), “and I got a really nice feel for what a small town was like.”Getting Into Pottery“I was doing painting and drawing for a really long time,” Tucci said of her childhood. But in high school, “I ended up in one ceramic class and just never stopped.”Alfred University is a renowned institution for ceramic engineering.&nbsp;“They taught me glazed chemistry,” Tucci said, “so I mixed my own glazes. I can tell you what each chemical or material does to the glaze. How do you get color? How do you get it to move?”Watching a potter create a product, such as the more common pieces like mugs and vases, is a sight to see, as it’s a small amount of clay that grows into a larger-sized end product.“When I first started making mugs,” Tucci said, “I didn’t have the skill to make the mugs, so they were eight to 10 ounces because clay shrinks significantly by the time it gets through the whole process.”However, over time, she was able to reduce the amount of clay used to make larger mugs; a 32-ounce mug now requires only a pound and a half of clay, “because I’ve learned how to manipulate the clay thinner,” Tucci said.Watching the clay grow on the potter’s wheel turns out to be a metaphor for Tucci as a teacher.“The kids that I’ve been working with since 2017, when I got here, watching them grow is awesome,” Tucci said.The high school students that she taught in wheel sessions this summer have been learning from her since second and third grades.<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/8/1756303829000.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>Hands-On ProductsBesides teaching, Tucci does commission work.Tucci creates decorative work for clients, but she enjoys the practical products the most.“When somebody buys an expensive handmade mug, that’s going to be their go-to mug,” she said.The same goes for plates and bowls.“I want my stuff to be used, and I want them eventually to break on the person, because that means they’re loving it and using it because it’s around.”She even asks people to take a selfie of themselves drinking out of the mug and send it to her.“That makes my whole week.”She used to have a 33 percent success rate of how much of her effort turned into a finished product.But 16 years into her career, she’s now at a 66 percent success rate. She’ll throw away a third of her molds before she even gets it into the first firing.“Because I’ve got 12-15 boxes of finished pottery in my garage, and so if it isn’t exactly what I want, I will just smash the clay before the firing, rehydrate it, and use that clay again,” Tucci said.“After you do something over and over again, you start kind of perfecting and diagnosing why it may have failed,” she said.“That’s a philosophy of life, isn’t it? I always say, I fail with grace. I put that in my pottery theory, but it’s life, too. If I fail, I just gotta try again. If I fail, I just gotta try again.”<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/8/1756303976024.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>

52 FACES: Hands in mud, heart in Burlington 

The Circle Square B Dance Club has been around for 67 years now.

It’s a Burlington club — which is what the “B” stands for — but they have members from a variety of cities, and they dance every Tuesday at the International Order of Oddfellows building in Wever.

Rich Millmier and his wife, Pat, are among the longer-term members, having joined a little more than 20 years ago. Rich has been the treasurer most of that time. Meg Peterson is the club president.

“We dance around the country and the world,” Millmier said of himself and his wife, and that’s the beauty of the modern western square dance style the club uses.

“All the calls are spoken in English, no matter what country you’re in,” Millmier said.

The Millmiers have danced twice in Germany and once in New Zealand, with no need for an interpreter, because the calls are all standardized, he said.

The club meets all year round, missing only due to bad weather and Christmas and New Year’s.

The “Circle” portion of the club title refers to round dancing, but the local club doesn’t do that type anymore, Millmier said.

Circle Square B once owned a building on the north side of the Skunk River, but when Highway 61 was relocated 20 years ago, that building was taken out.

Fort Madison had a Promenaders club, but it closed due to a lack of members. Those remaining joined the Burlington club, which then went by Circle Square B Promenaders until those members dropped out.

The square consists of four couples, with four men and four women. The dancers spend 12-15 minutes on each “tip,” which consists of two rounds of dancing at the caller’s direction. The first half of that is the “patter,” and the second is a singing call set to a particular piece of music, Millmier said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/burlington-beacon-media-bucket/public/2025/8/1756136736422.jpeg" alt="Photo by John Lovretta" />
 <figcaption>Photo by John Lovretta</figcaption>
 </figure>By Chris FaulknerThe Circle Square B Dance Club has been around for 67 years now.It’s a Burlington club — which is what the “B” stands for — but they have members from a variety of cities, and they dance every Tuesday at the International Order of Oddfellows building in Wever.Rich Millmier and his wife, Pat, are among the longer-term members, having joined a little more than 20 years ago. Rich has been the treasurer most of that time. Meg Peterson is the club president.“We dance around the country and the world,” Millmier said of himself and his wife, and that’s the beauty of the modern western square dance style the club uses.“All the calls are spoken in English, no matter what country you’re in,” Millmier said.The Millmiers have danced twice in Germany and once in New Zealand, with no need for an interpreter, because the calls are all standardized, he said.The club meets all year round, missing only due to bad weather and Christmas and New Year’s.The “Circle” portion of the club title refers to round dancing, but the local club doesn’t do that type anymore, Millmier said.Circle Square B once owned a building on the north side of the Skunk River, but when Highway 61 was relocated 20 years ago, that building was taken out.Fort Madison had a Promenaders club, but it closed due to a lack of members. Those remaining joined the Burlington club, which then went by Circle Square B Promenaders until those members dropped out.The square consists of four couples, with four men and four women. The dancers spend 12-15 minutes on each “tip,” which consists of two rounds of dancing at the caller’s direction. The first half of that is the “patter,” and the second is a singing call set to a particular piece of music, Millmier said.The governing body for square dancing is Caller Lab, which provides instructions such as “allemande left,” where you turn the person on your left with your left hand and then return to your partner.Callers for one recent class were twins, Doug and Don Sprosty, who are from the Quad Cities. Tom Manning of Burlington, the regular caller for Circle B, is out due to health reasons.Health BenefitsSquare dancers don’t look like they’re covering much ground, but, Millmier said, “If you would dance that two or 2 ½ hours all evening, you would get in four to five miles of steps,” Millmier said.It’s not just physically beneficial.“It becomes quite a mental exercise the farther you go into it,” Millmier said. “But even at first, it’s a training period on how to listen because the call is going to tell you every move to make, and you have to listen strictly to that.”It’s not like ballroom dancing, where there are specific steps that go with that type of dance.“If you don’t listen to the caller, you’re going to miss the next call, because he makes the call before you finish the first one,” Millmier said.The Millmiers are from Donnellson, and Circle Square B also has members from Fort Madison, Mount Pleasant, Columbus Junction, Washington, and Canton, Mo.One of the dancers is 80-year-old Warren Messner from Mount Pleasant.He had a heart attack about 20 years ago and had quadruple bypass surgery.“My heart doctor said that square dancing is the best thing I could have done, both mentally and physically,” Messner said, and he does it five times a week.“I just don’t quit,” he said.Carol Thornton, 90, is from Washington.She has been square dancing for six decades and does it for socialization.“It’s something to do with people,” Thornton said, “the camaraderie of the people and everyone’s so nice.”Her daughter, Ladonna Hartsock of Wapello, dances with her as well.Membership DriveThere are currently 45 dues-paying members in Circle Square B, but they’ll be starting a new 12-week session on Tuesday, Sept. 23, to try to attract new members.It doesn’t have to be a couple; people can come on their own, and children eight and older can pick it up quickly, Millmier said.The cost is $ 6 per person or $50 for the entire series.Even the current group of members has taken classes several times over the years, Millmier said.“We teach the first beginning 50 calls in Modern Western Square,” he said.After the 12 weeks, “They will at least be introduced to enough that they can dance.”Most people take another set of lessons, Millmier said, and the next set will be offered in mid-January.People interested in signing up for the classes can call Miller at his home line, 319-835-5382, or his cell phone, 319-371-4722. His email address is&nbsp;richpatmill@gmail.com.

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