Mount Vernon-Lisbon
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THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2025 • $1.50
Community Day Saturday at Pleasant Grove Heritage Park
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Kicking off summer Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
It could have been the excellent weather. Or a different location this year. But the Cole Library summer reading program kick-off attracted more than 123 people and had 66 youth or teenagers signed up for the summer reading program overall. According to Grace Chamberlain-Rowray, the attendance was much larger than 2024s event. If families were unable to attend, there is still time to sign up for the program by visiting the library’s circulation desk on the first floor. There’s also a number of programs for the summer reading program to come, including two weekly science, technology, engineering and math classes held Wednesday mornings that require pre-registering, story times and the Prancing Ponies concluding event in July 18. Bubbles were one of the big draws for the event, with that station running out of bubble solution before the day was over. With temperatures in the cool 70s through most of the morning, many of the events indoors for the kick-off moved to the outdoors of the library instead, including make your own snack mix and the music of Balderdash Ditty.
Nathan Countryman Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com
Friends of Pleasant Grove Heritage Park is encouraging people to get outdoors this weekend with a trip to the park in Lisbon for “Community Day” from 1 to 4 p.m. at the park. “The McElmeel family is thrilled to have the property back in their care and wanted to celebrate a new beginning for Pleasant Grove Heritage Park by hosting a community celebration, thus ‘Community Day,’ a version of an open house but in an open, outdoor space,” answered Ann Opatz, committee member of the Friends of the Pleasant Grove Heritage Park.” Pleasant Grove Heritage Park was originally sold to Lisbon in 2019, with plans to develop the space into a permanent park and restore the historic barns. In 2024, when little action had been taken to preserve the barns and the city council was considering demolishing the barns, the McElmeel family formed a non-profit organization to help preserve the barns and properties. The barns and property were transitioned to the non-profit in February. There are plans to develop the park and rehabilitate the barns, with the assistance of numerous volunteers and grants and donations. At Community Day, the community will be able to see the efforts that are planned for restoring and repurposing the barns as part of the Meyers Farmstead Historical District, and upgrades needed for other areas of the park, including prairie, pond, trails, play areas, parking and other amenities. Attendees will be able to view the preservation plan developed by OPN Architects and other research studies by preservation professionals that will be used as a guide in our rehabilitation efforts for the barns. “We will also be sharing preliminary conceptual designs for a master plan COMMUNITY DAY | 6
INSIDE
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Nathan Countryman | Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun
Kira Moore blows some bubbles outdoors at the summer library reading program kick off. The bubble station was a very popular station, with a run needed to go pick up additional bubble solution during the event.
Linn County cancer cases on rise County has higher cancer rate than U.S. average
data about the importance of the research. “We are here with a purpose to confront a crisis that touches every family, community and Nathan Countryman every area in the 99 counties in Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun Iowa,” Divedi said. “Iowa ranks nathan.countryman@mvlsun.com second in cancer cases. That’s not a podium we want to be Linn County Public Health standing on.” and the Iowa Cancer ConsorBehind every statistic, Divedi tium held a 99 Counties Project said, is the story of a neighbor, Thursday, May 29, where the co-worker, friend or loved one results of Linn County’s cancer impacted by this disease for rates were provided. someone. Pramod Divedi, Linn County Professor Mary Charlton of Public Health director, spoke the Iowa Cancer Registry said before the presentation of the only state with a rising can-
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cer rate currently is Utah, and their rate is much lower than Iowa’s, whereas Iowa has not decreased and keeps increasing. Cancer, Charlton also said, is very complicated. “There’s not just one thing causing cancer in Iowa,” Charlton said. “There are no huge hot spots, no towns all getting cancer. It’s a complex disease, where lifestyle and exposure
impacts your risks.” In Linn County, there are roughly 1,391 new cancer cases in the county per year. The cancer rate is higher in non-hispanic black individuals, but non-hispanic whites are also higher than the nation average. Linn County also saw 414 people die due to cancer per year. CANCER | 2
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