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THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2025 • $1.50
Ready and eager to tell your story Introducing the Solon Economist’s U of I summer interns
Solon Public Library Summer Kickoff was a blast Ella McEntaffer Solon Economist SOLON — Friday, May 30, was the last day of school for Solon students, and also time for the annual Solon Public Library Summer kickoff event. The 6:00 p.m. event featured plenty of popcorn, popsicles, yard games, and a water sprinkler. The hit of the night was the foam machine, which created huge clusters of bubbles for children at the kickoff event to play in. Children ended the night covered in the foam, tired from an exciting day, and ready for the next few months of summer fun. Yellow-shirted library staff were also hard at work passing out summer reading program forms, which are still available for pickup at the library during business hours. Adults and teens are also able to participate in the summer reading program, which runs from Sunday, June 1, through Thursday, July 31. There are also a variety of other fun summer events coming up, such as the Friends of the Library garage sale, which runs Friday, June 6, through Saturday, June 7. More activities, such as Storytime and chair yoga, can be found on the calendar at https://www.solon.lib.ia.us/calendar. PHOTOS | 12
SOLON — Again this year the Solon Economist is fortunate to have some extra help in the form of interns through our ownership by The Daily Iowan (Student Publications, Inc.) and partnership with the University of Iowa’s journalism school. Last year Joel Kellar blazed a trail as the Economist’s first intern, covering everything from sports to general assignments. His efforts netted him two First Place awards from the Iowa Newspaper Foundation. This summer we have three interns – Ella McEntaffer, AJ Dolan, and Natalia Scales. McEntaffer worked this spring as an intern and did a fine job including providing good coverage of the recent Firefighter’s breakfast and Memorial Day ceremonies. Dolan covered Solon’s winter sports through the U of I’s prep sports reporting seminar class and Scales was in the community news capstone class. The following are introductions, in their own words. We are excited and grateful for their help and for the opportunity to provide real world experience in the field of journalism in general, and smalltown newspapering in particular. When you see them at events and gatherings in Solon, please tell them hello and welcome them to Solon. We’re glad to have them. Ella McEntaffer
(publisher) Ja son Br ummond, Chr is Umscheid, and (Sun editor) Nathan Countryman, I have learned so much and truly grown my reporting and writing skills. I couldn’t ask for better mentors, I am excited McEntaffer to continue working with them. Besides the great staff, I have loved being able to meet so many different people in the Solon, Mount Vernon, and Lisbon areas. Everyone I have gotten the opportunity to interview has been incredibly welcoming and supportive of my work and learning. I will be a senior at the University of Iowa, majoring in journalism and mass communications with a minor in music and history. I originally came into college as a science major, but I quickly realized that I enjoyed classes with written and creative elements far more. I have always enjoyed stories, so I guess it is no surprise that I ended up pursuing a degree telling them. Besides writing, I enjoy going to Hawkeye games with my friends, playing guitar, working out, traveling, and walking my dog. One aspect that I have liked about this internship is being able to experience and tell the stories of small-town Iowa. I am from a large suburb, so I feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to explore eastern Iowa through my writing. Solon, Mount Vernon, and Lisbon are all such beautiful communities, and I am excited to gain more connections in the area.
AJ Dolan I joined the Solon Economist and the Through mountains of homework, late Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun as an intern in February, and I have had an amaz- nights with friends, and downtown Iowa ing experience so far. Working under City adventures; endless stories have
blossomed themselves into the lives of so many, especially me. Those experiences are what drive people today, giving many the opportunity to tell a story and, in turn, feeding into what we’ve come to understand as our area’s version of modern journalism. Seeing this firsthand is where my love for journalism began. From a younger age, I always knew that writing was the art medium that called to me. It called to me in a way where I could employ its abilities and grasp its capabilities, coming to me naturally by means of which nothing had before in my life. I valued writing all throughout public school but lost its Dolan touch when enrolling at the University of Iowa where I so tentatively decided on being business major. As a freshman in college, I felt that, like so many do, I was not following my true passion, but the school’s journalism program landed in my lap at the right time, and I knew that this is what I should follow. Now, as a 21-year-old amid life’s changes, I’m nothing short of excited to be writing and reporting for the Solon Economist and Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun as an intern. This past semester, I had the privilege of capturing special moments in high school sports in the form of photos and articles for said respective papers, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world. It is where my previously stated love for journalism truly planted its flag in my life. As an intern, I plan to display that love in every piece I produce this summer, not INTERNS | 2
Find out how to make it big in a small town
Community Horizon’s speaker series focuses on local businesses next Wednesday Solon Economist
SOLON — Two business that got their start in Solon, and have expanded into
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other communities, will be in the spotlight Wednesday, June 11 at Big Grove Brewpub as the Community Horizon’s Speaker Series concludes. The series, coordinated by Greater Iowa City, Inc. with Johnson County and several local communities, has focused on rural development. The final session, titled Small Town, Big Dreams – Real Iowa Success Stories/ Preparing Your City for Success, will feature Doug Goettsch, Cheryl Malo-
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ney, and Solon City Administrator Cami Rasmussen. Goettsch co-founded Big Grove, which has expanded from Solon to locations in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and soon in Omaha. Mahoney is the founder, CEO, and President of The Eat Shop, which has grown from one location in Solon to Marion, and two locations on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.
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“We encourage those interested in opening a small business and want to learn more about how to start a business in a small town, to attend and hear how Big Grove Brewery and The Eat Shop got their start in Solon,” said Rasmussen. The event starts at 11:00 a.m. with a light lunch offered and is free to attend. Registration at https://iowacityareabusinesspartnership.growthzoneapp.com is requested.
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