Jasper County Courthouse Lighting receives $40K from Los Angeles man, who is a Newton Cardinal

Steve Knight nearly dropped his phone when he heard how much a former Newton resident wanted to donate to the courthouse lighting fund.

When he got another call from the same person a year later saying they would donate the same amount to the cause, he almost dropped it again.

If there is room in the budget next year, it might do Knight some good to splurge and buy himself one of those heavy duty cellphone covers for the next time he receives a call from a donor who wants to give $20,000 towards the Jasper County Courthouse Lighting ceremony.

Bruce Cormicle, a lawyer from Los Angeles, Calif., donated $40,000 towards the ceremony, which has paid for new garland, free-standing arches and a new storage trailer featuring a landscape photograph of the lighted Jasper County Courthouse. Cormicle graduated from Newton High School in the 1970s.

Knight recalled his first conversation with Cormicle over the phone. It was a spur of the moment call. Knight didn’t know too much about this generous donor, but he knew he was raised in Newton. Knight later found out Cormicle might have known his cousins, and apparently he was a member of the speech team.

I heard you folks may need some help with the courthouse lighting … My mom and dad, they worked at the courthouse for several years. Their names were Gurnea and Gladys. And I graduated from Newton in 1974 … What do you guys need? Garland? … Could you use $20,000? Will that help?

Knight said the most anyone has ever donated to the Jasper County Courthouse Lighting was around $15,000. The event is regularly fundraised by Knight, who collects money from businesses and community leaders. Other entities like Van Maanen Electric and Jasper County provide the install and continue the tradition.

To see the courthouse lighting receive two $20,000 donations from a single person is very special, and Knight pointed out that they have made a real impact.

The new, free-standing arches fabricated out of steel by Scott VanderSchoor of the Colfax-based VS Fab Works serve as anchors for the lights adorning the courthouse. The second donation from Cormicle went directly towards the new trailer, which stores the lights, arches and decorations for the courthouse.

Knight is particularly proud of the trailer. In addition to the wide shot of the lighted courthouse, there is also a portion of the trailer that features a transposed photo of Knight’s father, Donald Knight, who helped fundraise money for the courthouse lighting before his son eventually took his place.

“That was Adam Sparks’ idea,” Knight said of the county’s maintenance director.

Knight cannot be more thankful to see how the trailer turned out, but he is more thankful for the people and businesses who make these projects — and the courthouse lighting itself — possible. They keep the tradition going, he said, and it is embraced and supported by so many community members every year.

Other holiday events receive the same treatment; Knight pointed to the 4-H Festival of Trees, the lighted parade, Maytag Holiday Lights and the Tree-mendous Christmas Experience. Like the Jasper County Courthouse Lighting, it takes the work of volunteers, sponsors and donors to make it all happen.

Knight said, “Between Bruce and his wife Betsy, I can’t thank them enough — and of course all the people in Newton and Jasper County.”