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Polk County Fair

 See A4&5 Wednesday August 07, 2024 | Volume 148, Issue 31

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Dallas Fire celebrates new and old in its fleet of engines 2024 Barton added along side 100-yearold Baby Stutz By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

MacLarin Jones talks some members through a workout session at Harvest CrossFit.

Harvest CrossFit celebrates 10th anniversary with community party By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

MacLarin and Devin Jones knew they were on to something when they disregarded a realtor’s advice and opened their cross fit gym in Dallas. Now a decade later, the couple are celebrating Harvest CrossFit’s 10th anniversary, and they want

everyone, member or not, to join in the festivities. “We believe that God brought us to Dallas to invite people into a community, a type of community they hadn’t experienced before, particularly in fitness,” MacLarin said. She explained there are groups that do things together, be they running clubs or the pickleball

club. But, in the past, working out at the gym has usually been a solo endeavor where people keep mostly to themselves. “But we know of this type of fitness community where the community is key to a person’s success,” she said, adding it goes beyond fitness and builds upon relationships suffered and celebrated together.

That’s why they’re opening up their entire facility, indoors and out, at 745 Main St., and are featuring activities sure to attract more into their culture. The former Some Things Store is actually the third home for Harvest CrossFit. But it’s the biggest at See CROSSFIT, page A6

60 years of generosity continues with $15,000 donation By LANCE MASTERSON For The Itemizer-Observer

Monmouth Garden Club celebrated its 60th anniversary doing what it does best - donating money to help keep the city beautiful. This time a check for $15,000 was presented by club officers to Mayor Cec Koontz and Public Works Director Russ Cooper. The donation is dedicated to help pay for construction of a picnic pavilion at the Monmouth Recreation Park, home to the skate park. And with that generosity, the Monmouth Garden Club’s legacy continues to grow. “This is a group of very energetic women who love gardening, love community. They work hard on our fundraising projects, and that money goes to beautification,” club president Diane Ostrum said. “Over 60 years we have donated more than $130,000 to community beautification projects, and we’re very proud of that.” Money for donations is raised through the club’s Greens Week sale in December and annual plant sale in May. According to Koontz, these sales help define “community.” See DONATION, page A6

PHOTO BY DASHIELL MCNETT

In honor of its 60th anniversary, the Monmouth Garden Club, (from left) officers Deb Bachwansky, Karen Williams, Terri Siner and Diane Ostrom, donate $15,000 to the city of Monmouth, represented by with Monmouth Mayor Dec Koontz and Public Works Director Russ Cooper. The donation goes toward building a picnic pavilion at Monmouth Recreation Park.

IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Puzzle Solutions Social Public Records Classifieds Puzzles

A4 A4 A6 B2 B2 B3 B6 B7

Reinforcements couldn’t have arrived soon enough for Dallas Fire & EMS. Chief April Wallace is eager to activate their newest fire engine – a 2024 Barton – as the station is on pace for 6,000 calls for 2024. Meanwhile, their “second out” 1996 Pierce engine is approaching antique status. The department doesn’t need another antique in its fleet. That’s because while they welcome a new addition to the rotation, Dallas Fire & EMS is also celebrating the 100th birthday of their oldest engine still in operation – a 1924 Baby Stutz. Of course, the Stutz only serves out an honorary roll in public affairs appearances, such as the position of honor at the head of the Dallas Days parade. Wallace said the city of Dallas was originally going to use $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to build a new training facility for her crews. But she changed course when that plan proved too costly. “I made a presentation in July last year to the City Council,” Wallace said. “We started looking at engine builds, and were finding a lot of engines availability were 48 months out, which is sig time for us, and were very expensive.” Many of the new engines were pricing closer to $1.3 million. However, Wallace shaved that amount to $870,000 when she found a company out of Branson, Missouri, that started builds with prefabricated chassis. That allowed for more customization and a quicker turnaround to just a year. Wallace added a new training facility is still on their wish list, as Dallas Fire & EMS’s own training yard is quite small, and they are utilizing the training yard owned by Polk County Fire District No. 1 for now. While the station is working to equip the new Barton engine with the appropriate firefighting equipment, from hoses and nozzles to ladders and chainsaws, Wallace hopes to have it in rotation by next month. “Then we’ll take time to make sure all our personnel are trained on its operations,” she added. Once the Barton is promoted to the first out engine, their current See ENGINES, page A6

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