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Celebrate with us at Pleasant Hill’s Summerfest

The Summerfest celebration begins with a parade at 10:00 AM. The route starts at RE/MAX Real Estate Group’s office and ends at Doan’s Park.  Check out the schedule on the Pleasant Hill Chamber site.  There is a car show at the 5 & Diner starting at 11:00 AM. At 3:00 the festivities continue at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park. Some of the activities that are not listed: Face painting, provided by Courtyard Estates,”Break the Board” provided by Triumph Martial Arts, and we will also be having a Dance Performance at approximately 3:30.  There will also be several food items such as: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Brats, Pizza, Taco’s, Tropical Sno, Ice Cream Sandwiches and much more! Don’t miss out on all there is to do this Saturday.  Admittance is free! Food, Beverages and Inflatables will have a cost.  The cost for an all day inflatables wristband is $5.00 for children over 5, $3.00 for children 5 & under, remember your $1.00 off coupon in order to save!

Don’t Forget

The Eisenlauer Team is

 Easy to Work With …Hard to Beat!

 

Bill 770-2455      Bob 979-2883

  www.EisenlauerTeam.com
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Walnut Street Downtown Scheduled to Re-open

Some things just seem so obvious, you wonder why the Important People in Suits didn’t figure it out.  When they turned Walnut St. downtown into a buses only street, why would you be surprised that business on the street level would be negatively affected? So, the Dart busses will be leaving Walnut and a big effort will begin to bring business and patrons back to the center of downtown. The East Village has seen a boost, the Western Gateway in underway, it’s time to revitalize the heart of downtown.  Watch for new things to be coming in 2013. Read the whole story here.

 
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New Respect for Frank Lloyd Wright

We stayed in Clear Lake for a week – the weather was beautiful. The town does a great job with their image, with activities and attractions.  We were within a stone’s throw of the lake- scenic and relaxing. But the highlight for me was touring two of Frank Lloyd Wrights buildings.

One is the newly renovated Park Hotel. The other was the Stockman House. It is one of FLW’s $5,000 fireproof houses. It was deigned after the Chicago fires with the common man in mind. The Stockman House was built by a Dr., but still a modest home.  Some of the things I learned from our tourguide:
  • Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to create a style of home that was uniquely American.  He didn’t want to build Tudor or Victorian or 4-Square.
  • FLW wanted the homes to be in harmony with the landscape.
  • Amazing attention to detail and balance. Even when they design is asymetrical, it is perfectly balanced. A lot of horizontal lines. Large overhangs incorporated drainage. Wide “baseboard” detail grounded the building with the landscape.
  • He traveled extensively, often to Japan. He loved Japanese art and thought it was best  complemented his buildings.
  • He was the father of 6 kids, but ran off to Japan with another man’s wife.
  • Ribbon windows are a trademark, walls would fit precisely between the windows to maintain balance.
  • Wright designed furniture unique to his homes and expected that their location and function would stay when he had left.
There is a lot of unique and impressive homes within blocks of the Stockman house in Mason City. It is also the home of Meredith Wilson – the author of Music Man.
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Peek-A-Boo – Bad MLS Photo

We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words.  When we list a house to sell, we routinely schedule a professional stager to consult with the seller. After the “to-do” list is complete, we schedule a professional photographer to take pictures.  88% of buyers use the internet to search for homes before contacting a Realtor. Photos are important. So, it’s always a mystery when we see a photo like the one above. What were they thinking????

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What’s your favorite way to celebrate?

What’s your 4th of July tradition?  I grew up in northern Iowa, close to Clear Lake. So it was not the 4th of July unless we were at Clear Lake. We always watched the parade. It was the best parade in the area.  Always a lot of important politicians (or is that an oxymoron?).  In those days, Clear Lake had a kids drum and bugle corp. I envied those kids!  My cousins were always part of it and it was exciting to see them marching in those funny little shorts and band hats. After the parade – picnic in the triangle park or at my Aunt Verna’s house.  And of course, walk to city park and enjoy the carnival.  The culmination of the day’s festivities is always fireworks set off from barges on the lake – a spectacular sight. After kids’ schedules kept us from getting to Clear Lake – our tradition became going to Carlisle. It’s a quintessential small-town America parade. All the little-league teams ride in the parade, firetrucks, horses, tractors and lots of candy. It’s tomorrow morning (the 4th) at 9:30. Why not come and check it out. The theme this year is God Bless Them All – thanking the military.  I bet someone will even set lawn chairs in their front yard and invite you to join them.