Optimist Club of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
The Mount Horeb Optimist
Vol. 1 · No. 3 · July 2026
June was the start of summer at the club. Fishing rods at Stewart Park, the Frolic raffle, and the bouncy house out of storage. We don't meet again until September — but a lot still happens between now and then. Here's June, the seniors we met this past year, and what's around the corner.
What happened
Cops and Bobbers at Stewart Park
Cops and Bobbers was a terrific success on Sat June 6th, with beautiful weather to help boost attendance! This is an annual event held at Stewart Park coordinated and sponsored by the Mount Horeb Optimist Club, the Recreation department as well as the Mount Horeb Police Department. It's a great opportunity for kids to learn how to fish and to mingle with law enforcement officers in a family-friendly environment.
The Frolic
The Frolic is Mount Horeb's big summer weekend, and the club is right in the middle of it. Burger shifts at the grill. The raffle, with its proceeds going back to local youth. And, the way it goes every year, an Optimist up front as emcee for the parade.
There was music, too — PARTWAYS, an alternative band of former Mount Horeb High School students, played a Sunday afternoon set, fronted by Leah Kellesvig, one of the seniors we honored this year as Someone You Should Know. A good weekend to be a neighbor.
Pop-up pottery
Fifty pairs of hands in the clay
In June, Center Ground Studios turned a room at the Mount Horeb Public Library into a pop-up pottery studio for an afternoon — and it was a remarkable success. More than fifty people worked with clay across the three-hour event, and not just kids: folks of every age pulled up a chair and got their hands dirty.
There were hand-building stations to explore — a whole spread of tools, textures, and techniques to try — and four pottery wheels. A potter from Center Ground ran a demonstration wheel, taking questions and “what if” experiments to show how the clay moves. The other three wheels were staffed by local potters who helped visitors throw their own pieces: bowls, mugs, vases, even a few plates. Anyone who wanted could have their creation fired at the studio afterward.
Made possible with support from the Optimist Club.
Someone you should know
The seniors we met this year
The club doesn't meet in June, July, or August. So over these three summer issues we'll re-introduce the Class of 2026 — the high school seniors we got to honor this past school year. Up first: the four we met in October and November.
Honored at the October meeting of the Optimist Club with her parents Kim and Randy.
Honored at the October meeting of the Optimist Club with her parents Becky and Andy.
Honored at the November meeting of the Optimist Club with her parents Kellie and Mark.
Honored at the November meeting of the Optimist Club with her parents Amy and Greg.
Read their full stories at someone you should know · class of 2026.
What's coming up
July and August
Friday, July 3
Kid's Zone at the Norsk July 3rd Celebration
The village gathers at the Norsk Celebration on July 3rd — picnic blankets, food, fireworks at dusk. The wait can be hard on little kids, so the club fills it. Crafts, yard games, face painting, the bouncy house. Last year 200+ kids came through. Free, thanks to club fundraising. Look for the Kid's Zone tent on the afternoon and evening of July 3.
Late July
Optimist summer picnic
Once a year, the club trades work for play. On a Monday evening in late July, the Optimists gather at Grundahl Park for a family picnic — spouses, kids, lawn games, board games. It's a potluck; Ellen brings the grill, everyone else brings a dish and their fun.
July 27 & August 10
Self-defense workshops
Two workshops this summer, taught by Brandon Tracy, a Verona-based martial arts instructor. The class for women and girls runs August 10, 6 to 8 pm; new this year, a class for boys on July 27. Both at the Violet Room at Wisconsin Surplus Auction, which donates the space.
The full slate at events.
Meet an optimist
Cynthia
Three questions for one of the friends who keeps the club going.
What's the best part of meeting the families in the Someone You Should Know program?
Students from the high school that have given so much to their school and community deserve recognition. I know that these students don't volunteer because they are looking for accolades, they do it out of selflessness and a true spirit of giving. Meeting the families of the students that have received the Someone You Should Know award is certainly a highlight of this program. You can see in their eyes, the pride they feel for their student. It never fails to give me goosebumps (and sometimes I even get all teared up). Mount Horeb sure has wonderful families.
What's an Optimist tradition you'd never want to give up?
An Optimist tradition that I would never want to give up is the Super Bowl Sunday Silent Auction. Not only is it our biggest fundraiser, but it unites us and the community in the common cause of helping youth through sponsoring events and programs.
Joining a new club can be hard. How do Mount Horeb Optimists make new members feel right at home?
The name says it all — Optimist Club. Who wouldn't want to be part of an upbeat, friendly bunch of people!
Find us at the Kid's Zone on July 3. Forward this to a neighbor. Come to a meeting when we start back up in September — third Monday, Mount Horeb Public Library, 6:45 in the evening. We'd be glad to see you.
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End of Vol. 1 · No. 3