Community Notes: Carrie’s Girlhood Home welcomes operations program manager

By Cheryl Erb, President, National 19th Amendment Society

Summer is a perfect time to plan a visit to Carrie’s Girlhood Home Museum & Interpretive Center!

Our regular season will start Memorial Day, noon to 4 p.m., with Monday through Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, July 4th, and Labor Day hours of noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free with donations accepted.

We are thrilled to have Polly Krikorian join our organization as operations program manager. Polly is a Clear Lake native, but has recently made Charles City her home.

Polly spent her career in corporate America, primarily holding roles in human resources, specifically in talent acquisition. After her position with TriNet was eliminated in early 2023, Polly quickly landed a part-time position in human resources with Mitchell County Regional Health Center.

She wasn’t content with just one part-time role, so she responded to our ad, interviewed for the operations program manager and began working for Carrie’s in November 2023.

Polly is quickly learning the many aspects of running a non-profit museum that shares the story of Carrie’s legacy in getting women the right to vote and working to find peaceful solutions to world disagreements. We know when visitors come to Carrie’s they will feel Polly’s passion for our hidden gem.

When Polly isn’t busy with Carrie’s and Mitchell County Regional Health Center, you will probably see her out and about with her sidekick, Pico.

Polly also believes in helping others, so much so that she shares her home with her parents who have also made Charles City their home after spending the majority of their time in Clear Lake.

This summer will include the return of our annual Prairie Day Camp on Aug. 7th. This one-day camp is offered at no charge for students between first and fifth grades. The day includes learning about Carrie’s life, participating in a voting activity, time in nature, and a lunch reminiscent of a meal Carrie may have enjoyed as a child.

The apple orchard had plentiful blooms this spring and we look forward to a growing season that provides an abundance of apples for the Family Apple Picking Weekend over Labor Day weekend.

Our site is always open for anyone who would like to take a break and just enjoy nature. Two picnic tables are available for your use to spend time relaxing in nature close to home.

If you have any questions or special requests, please give us a call or send a text to 641-228-3336. You can also send an email to: clccatt@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you this season!