Local church seeking support to fix Ironton pool

Iron County – On a recent Saturday, Arcadia Valley United Methodist Church members with paint buckets and brushes gave the Ironton City Pool’s snack bar a facelift. While there they found the pool has even bigger problems. The filtration and chlorination system are in need of repair — a major expense. While the exact cost of repairs has yet to be determined, it could cost as much as $20,000 or more.

The church’s pastor, the Rev. Carol Blackwell, and church member Steve Gifford attended a recent meeting of the Ironton Board of Aldermen to suggest the church could spearhead fundraisers with the help of other local groups in Ironton, Pilot Knob and Arcadia with an interest in keeping the pool up and running for kids.

Blackwell and Gifford received tentative approval from the board to research the actual cost of the repairs to see what steps will need to be taken next. Both the city and the church are seeking bids and will later compare notes.

Two Catholic nuns leaving Arcadia Valley

Sister Mary Louise Jaegers and Sister Clare Droste will soon be leaving for their order’s retirement home in Bridgeton. Both members of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, an order that focuses on a range of expressions of compassion and healing and the power of prayer.

Both women knew their calling from an early age. Sister Mary Louise went into the order in 1944 at St. Mary of the Angels in St. Louis. Sister Clare entered the order in 1947 at St. Mary’s Convent in St. Louis.

Sister Mary Louise worked as a dietary consultant for area hospitals, nursing homes and similar institutions. Sister Clare worked for the Arcadia Valley Home Health agency. Both women became associated with St. Marie du Lac Catholic Church.