Jude Smith and Greg Raupp held a ribbon cutting for the revamped First on First in Mount Vernon. Members of The Plantiful Pantry also were present to cut the ribbon for their business space in Mount Vernon.
Raupp said he had never heard of Mount Vernon before 2008, when he had met Smith at an event fundraising for the Iowa Hawkeyes following the 2008 flood.
“This wasn’t my town growing up,” Raupp said. “But I love this town. What a great place to live.”
Raupp said a lot of what he loves about the community is the support and encouragement that people find on a project.
He and Jude had been looking at a community that they want to spend more time in, and the building at First and First was one they wanted to help.
That work has included removing some dilapidated buildings behind the space to protect the historic building. They’ve also done work on refurbishing the kitchen and restaurant space.
Work is still ongoing on the upstairs apartment of the building. Raupp complimented the work of Cliff Weaver, their contractor on the project, and Seth Anderson, who will also be assisting on portions of the project.
“It truly takes the help of a lot of people in this village to do the remodel,” Raupp said.
Smith said she grew up in Mount Vernon and has been gone for 36 years, but is happy to be here and working with the remodel.
Ribbon cutting held at First on First, Plantiful Pantry spaces
A ribbon cutting was held for the renovation of First on First by Jude Smith and Greg Raupp and The Plantiful Pantry’s restaurant space in Mount Vernon Thursday, Aug. 10, in uptown Mount Vernon. Ambassadors in attendance included Michelle Carmer from Mount Vernon Chiropractic Clinic, Valerie and Mike Smith, Jenifer Back of Mount Vernon Family Dentistry, Courtney Frye Speed of Bridge Community Bank, John Bardsley of the City of Lisbon, Tom Wieseler Mayor of Mount Vernon, Brenda Langenberg of Hills Bank and Trust, Michelle Zaruba of Hills Bank and Trust, Lisa White of Cornell College, Tom Kortemeyer of Mount Vernon Insurance, Joe Jennison of Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group, Paul Rowland and Rochelle Ferguson of Mount Vernon Lisbon Sun and family of Seth Ferguson and Cliff Weaver (contractors on the project) as well as the Andrews family and Olberding family. Cutting the ribbon are Jude Smith and Greg Raupp (First on First) and Mariah Andrews, Devon Olberding and August Tweido (The Plantiful Pantry).