Iowa Highway Ends (etc.)

Filming continues in Traer. It sounds like they staged one of our customary Memorial Day services. Yes, that is one of my relatives making an appearance.

“The man inspired me. Very moving. It’s nice to see patriotism passed on,” said Max Morrison, U.S. Marines Corp veteran, who appeared in the movie.

Morrison was one of about 30 local veterans who took part in a Memorial Day scene held at the Traer Memorial building Tuesday. Morrison and the veterans appeared with Sorvino, who gave a touching speech.

Article here. Video embedded below.

Norbert Caloud’s name got misspelled again, but Cecelia Podhajsky’s is fine. Go figure.

KWWL.com – News

When President Obama did his three-day trip across Iowa last week, he came through Tama County. The president’s Tuesday leg included going north from Oskaloosa and then west for stops in Haverhill and Marshalltown, then back and along 63 north to Waterloo.

The Toledo Chronicle has details on the pass-through and also about previous politicians’ stops in the county. This is believed to be the first time a sitting president has been through the county at least since World War II*,  but we have had many candidates (including Hillary Clinton at the end of 2007). As a sitting president, he gets all the security trappings, including a reported 44-car motorcade of state and county patrol cars, while riding an armored bus (nicknamed Ground Force One by some).

The Traer Star-Clipper got media credentials to Obama’s speech in Waterloo and has a report and pictures. (It’s not a minor issue or undertaking for a weekly paper to do that.) In the gallery is a picture of the bus rolling through Traer:

After speaking in Marshalltown in the afternoon, the president hopped aboard his bus, bound for Waterloo, and passed through downtown Traer as well-wishers were lined up and down Main Street to cheer him on. The president gave waves to the crowd as the bus passed through the Main and Second Street intersection.

Mitt Romney’s bus has also been in the area.

*EDIT: Both Roosevelts made train stops in Marshalltown, according to the Chronicle article, so it’s possible that they saw the area.

The small movie company that made films in Clutier in 2010 and Traer in 2011 has returned to Tama County, this time for a movie about veterans called A Place for Heroes. It takes place in the towns and has scenes from World War II and the present day.

Area newspapers published the press release in mid-June. The Waterloo Courier now has an article and video up since filming started.

Note: The Courier misspelled Norbert Caloud’s name in the article. He is a World War II veteran who still fits in his uniform. Here’s a picture of him from the presentation/variety show dedicating the Traer Opera House exhibit at the Traer Museum earlier this month.

World War II veteran Norbert Caloud of Clutier carries the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance at the Traer Museum, August 10, 2012. At microphone is Dr. Tom Wicks.