Nominations being accepted for Comet Hall of Fame

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

July 31 is the deadline to nominate someone for the Comet Hall of Fame.

The honor, presented each year since 2012 by the Charles City Community Excellence in Education Foundation, was created to recognize and honor distinguished alumni, or contributors, who have brought honor to the Charles City Community School District through their achievements in academics, activities, athletics and performing arts.

“You hear a lot of negativity in life,” said Tricia Hemeseth, president of the foundation. “We would like to flip that, and say, look at these positive things. Every town is going to have a little scuttle, but you don’t have to always focus on that. You can focus here, on the positive things.”

Criteria considered for selection include secondary and post-secondary achievements, professional or lifetime accomplishments and civic endeavors. If a candidate is nominated but not selected this year, the application will remain on file and be reconsidered throughout the next five years.

“The whole goal is to honor people who’ve come from Charles City and done great things,” added Roxanne Carey, the group’s secretary.

Applications are available on the Charles City Community School District website, charlescityschools.org. Inductees will ride in a car in the homecoming parade and be honored at a homecoming tailgate before the football game.

“We want everyone to come to that,” said Hemeseth. “It’s a freewill donation. We’ll feed you, there will be games. We’ll have a lot of the community there, and it’s just a time to interact.”

Eligible candidates will be alumni or a contributor to the Charles City School District, eligible five years after graduation or five years after leaving employment in Charles City. Candidates are assessed on secondary and post-secondary achievements in academics, activities, athletics and performing arts; success in a particular vocation; distinguished civic endeavors and professional or lifetime accomplishments.

Inductees will also be honored and give a speech at a brunch event Saturday morning of homecoming week. There is no limit to the number of individuals who can be inducted each year.

“We don’t have a cap,” said Hemeseth. “The more nominees we can have, the better. We want people to know all the good that’s being done here, and about people who come from here that are wonderful people.”

Hemeseth mentioned Mark Sindlinger, who was honored last year, as an example.

“Not only was he a star athlete and star student here and at the University of Iowa, he also does an incredible amount back here in the community,” said Hemeseth.  “A lot of people don’t know about that. We like to get stuff like that out.”

Along with Sindlinger, last year’s inductees were Shirley Kelly, Doug Bengtson, Danielle Rippentrop and the late Gil and Donna White.

While high school performance is important, it is not solely determinative. The committee gives consideration to those who successfully unite noteworthy accomplishments in school and life.

Hemeseth said that recipients don’t necessarily have to be star students or athletes, nor do their contributions necessarily have to be in Charles City.

“It’s not just about achievements in school,” she said. “We’re not going to ignore a 2.0 student if that student contributed something important after they graduated. It also doesn’t have to be in this community. If someone contributed to another community — if someone moved to Des Moines and redid the whole downtown — we want to say, look at this, this came from us.”

The foundation also allocates quarterly $1,000 mini-grants to various endeavors such as the kindness retreat, guest artists and the tiny house. Money is raised through donations, and those interested in a possible mini-grant are encouraged to submit an application.

‘We’ve given out all kinds of grants for different things,” said Carey.

The Athletic Booster Club, Performing Arts staff and the Excellence in Education Foundation make final selections for the Comet Hall of Fame.