1Cover
JERSEY FREEZE:
a summer tradition
The history of
ROCK CREEK STATE PARK Young professional
MANNy TORIBIO
Harold and Lois Brown Transform Old HOme into
A DREAM COME TRUE
Summer | 2014
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One of the Midwest’s largest independent clinics ...
because you deserve a choice in health care Paul Ruggle, M.D. family practice
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Orville Bunker, M.D. family practice
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Phil Clevenger, D.O. family practice
Min Pak, M.D. family practice
Mureema Solberg, M.D. family practice
Leighton Frost, M.D. family practice with OB
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
www.newtonclinic.com • www.facebook.com/newtonclinic
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Jasper County People Learn about how Prairie City City Administrator Manny Toribio got to where he is and his vision for the growing city.
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Jasper County Gifts See how the new business Ooh La La Boutique has become a great place for women to shop in Newton.
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Jasper County Living After a trip to California, Harold and Lois Brown were inspired to find and refurbish a turn-of-the-century home.
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Jasper County Issues Learn how the Hometown Pride Partnership Agreement could help the entire county with infrastructure projects.
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Jasper County Treasure From a cozy bed and breakfast to a unique burger night, explore the hidden gem of the Linden House in Lynnville.
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Jasper County Dining At the crossroads of Highway 6 and Highway 163 south of Monroe, Jersey Freeze is the pit stop for many travelers.
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Jasper County History Once the brain child of Fred Maytag, learn about Rock Creek State Park and why it’s one of the most visited state parks.
Volume 2 Issue 3
July 2014 • Jasper County Living
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Jasper County Living is a Newton Daily News publication. To contact our sales team regarding advertising in future issues, call Jeff Holschuh at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6540.
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
Manny Toribio wants to guide Prairie City to a bright future
By Ty Rushing At 30, Manny Toribio is perhaps one of the youngest city administrators in the state of Iowa. His youth, attention to detail and ambition will seemingly continue to serve Prairie City — the fastest growing city in Jasper County — well, as the city looks to create a new identity for itself. “I want to see Prairie City grow. I want to see it succeed. A lot of communities this size — that are not in close proximity to a metro — are declining. They’re not dying, but they are getting smaller and smaller,” Manny said. Most people think of Prairie City as a bedroom community where they can get a great pork tenderloin July 2014 • Jasper County Living
sandwich; however, Manny has a greater and much grander vision for the city. Manny imagines Prairie City becoming more of a regional destination. He can picture more economic development taking place, and he visualizes visitors coming in to enjoy great shopping at a number of unique boutiques on the town’s square. He conceives bike trails connecting to Des Moines, Altoona, Pleasant Hill and other parts of Polk County. He pictures Prairie City appealing to people looking for that small town feel yet want to still maintain a close proximity to the Des Moines metro. He can see the appeal that the smaller classroom sizes and quality education presented by the PCM Community School District can have for young
families. Perhaps most importantly, Manny envisions the city doubling in size in the next decade. Prairie City currently has a population of 1,680, and if what Manny foresees comes true, the city would easily become the second largest in the county. With this type of thought process, and the technical knowhow to help make his vision happen — he has a bachelor’s of community and regional planning from Iowa State University — it’s no wonder Manny impressed enough members of Prairie City’s City Council to be selected for his position last March. To some, it may seem like he was destined for this job — his neighbor growing up was West Liberty’s former city manager
Lon Pluckhahn — but this was not always the case. Manny says he didn’t know city administration was really what he wanted to do until he met his wife, Emily, while both were working for the City of Des Moines. “I think she was really a conduit that really gave me an insight to what happens into the city management life and city management in general in this capacity,” Manny said. Prior to meeting her, Manny worked for the City of Des Moines as a city planner and worked with its adjustment, planning and zoning, and historic preservation boards as well as on special city council items such as GIS and TORIBIO See Page 7
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mapping work. While working for Des Moines, he went back to school and got his master’s from Drake University in public administration. During this time, he met a number of influential people in city administration, some of whom he still occasionally seeks advice from, and began learning from them. Armed with insider knowledge and his new degree, Manny said the first job he applied for was to become the city administrator of Monroe, which ironically enough shares a school district with Prairie City. One of the people Manny reached out to prior to applying for that job was Abby Johnson, Prairie City’s previous city administrator, to find out how the two cities worked together since they shared a school district. “I got a taste of it. I got really excited, and I got to see what it takes to interview for a city administrator position,” Manny said about the Monroe interview. Despite not landing that job, he wasn’t deterred in the slightest bit from achieving his goal of becoming an administrator. Fortunately for Manny, his next opportunity struck sooner than later, when Abby left her position in Prairie City. He said he had no clue she planned on leaving; nevertheless, when she stepped down, Manny stepped up and landed her position. “They knew they were taking a chance on me — a young professional (without) any experience in management. Just the educational experience, July 2014 • Jasper County Living
the networking that I had brought to the table and my background in planning,” Manny said. While he was happy that he finally got his foot in the door, he admitted his first year was a bit overwhelming at times. “You’ve got to know about public works and wastewater, water and streets. You’ve got to know about police, to an extent, finance, budget — which is very important, because, as you know, a lot of cities are taking a big hit with property tax reform … cities have had to do what they can to maximize their revenues and reduce their expenditures,” Manny said. With almost a year and a half under his belt, Manny will tell you that there is a difference from last year’s Manny — a guy who was new to the community, new to the position and trying to find his way — and this year’s Manny. “A sense of confi-
dence … there’s something (about) a year, in any administration role, and you can speak to anyone in Iowa or throughout the state, you get a better sense of community. Who is in the community, who are the leaders of the community? Who to rely on for answers — whether it’s in your office, staff or in just in general outside in the public — because there’s always good civic leaders,” Manny said. When he’s not meeting with city officials, listening to citizens issues or helping manage the city’s dayto-day operations, Manny said he and Emily volunteer for a number of young professional organizations based in Des Moines. Another thing he enjoys in his downtime is working out. Manny said working out is a great stress reliever for him, and he’s found that by having activities outside of work, it helps him regain the focus he needs to adequately per-
form his duties. “I just call it ‘time to rest my mind,’” Manny said. “(It’s a) time to focus on everything. Sometimes, in my personal opinion, I get stuck on certain projects and I don’t get a chance to think, ‘where are we going with this project,’ or ‘where are we going as a whole, as a city, are we going in one direction?’” Being a native of West Liberty, current population less than 4,000, Manny is no stranger to living in a smaller community. With his qualifications, small town background, education and networking abilities — coupled with his ever mounting experience — he seems to be the perfect match for a quickly growing city such as Prairie City and is a man on the rise who can focus on the present while still planning for what’s to come. “When you are just trying to deal with (just) the day’s stuff, you can’t look at the future,” he said.
Ty Rushing/Daily News Prairie City City Administrator Manny Toribio is much more relaxed in his second year on the job. Manny has big plans for himself and the city over the next few years.
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
Ooh La La — a small town boutique with big city style By Daily News Staff Inside the doors of Aleya Salon and Spa is a fashion boutique named Oh La La Boutique. Since opening up the boutique in February, Newton native and owner Tonya Van Gorp has featured hats, handbags, jewelry and many more accessories. Tonya is in the process of completing one of her goals for the boutique — women’s apparel. “I have been to one market so far, but didn’t have much luck with women’s apparel,” Tonya said. “I would like to get
a denim line, which I am kind of working on right now through working with different apparel markets. “I want it to be unique,” Tonya continued. “I’m making sure the apparel looks like it came from a boutique rather than something you can just buy at Target or WalMart. Something trendy and something that many people haven’t seen before or too much of. If it’s at market, it will be a big hit usually, but remaining very unique is what I would want to carry for apparel.”
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
A dream come true By Kate Malott Harold and Lois Brown had lived in the quiet, quaint town of Reasnor for most of their lives and they never imaged moving, but 20 years ago, that all changed. Harold graduated from Newton High School and Lois from Monroe High School. The two married on Sept. 2, 1958, and had three boys – Rodney born in January of 1961 and twins Kent and Kyle born that December. Harold worked in the research department at Maytag for 48 years and Lois as a secretary there for 27 years. By 2006, they had both retired. After the two took a vacation to California with Harold’s sister, Marilyn Schwartz, and brotherin-law, Keith, where they discovered a new love and interest in turn-of-the-century style homes. It was then that Harold knew he wanted to craft and create his very own Victorian home, and so he did. “That’s what started this whole thing. It started in Eureka and Arcadia, California,” Harold said. “I came home with a dream that I couldn’t get out of my mind.” In the late 1980s, the couple purchased the home on First Avenue East in Newton and began HOME See Page 13 July 2014 • Jasper County Living
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construction from the ground up. The home, originally built by Charles Ritter and finished by Oct. 10, 1903, was in bad shape after years of slow decay. It needed a lot of work but had a lot of potential, and the couple were attracted to its front entry way, two original staircases and three large fireplaces. After a few years of foundation construction, the two were ready to move in, but the work hasn’t stopped there. Harold continues to design, build and construct projects for the house, making his dream more of a reality each day. Harold’s friend, Rex Hewitt, allowed him access to gut homes where Park Centre is now, where he found windows, light fixtures and oak wood to use for the home. The house is full of recycled oak from the former Central Junior High School in Newton. Once classroom doors are now bedroom doors at the Brown home. Crown molding from the school in can be found throughout the first floor and
July 2014 • Jasper County Living
a majority of the homes wainscoting comes doors, largely from Central. Harold had taken apart, refurnished and constructed it all. Along the way, Harold and Lois have had friends and family lend a hand on the project. Don and Dee Coady and Hewitt have helped Harold collect pieces to his puzzle for many years, finding unique, often times discarded materials that once were of great value. “I wish Don and Rex could have lived long enough to see it,” Harold said, about the progress he has made on the house since their passing. Stainless glass windows from Kalona can be found in the front stairway and an upstairs bedroom. An old Kellogg brand wall phone placed in the upstairs hallway, wooden columns from a dealer in Albia. Street lamps along the driveway and in the front yard come from the town of Harvey. “I don’t like to throw anything away or burn it until I’ve used the
most good I can get out of it,” Harold said. Harold also designed and built all the wood framing and rosettes throughout the house. In the kitchen, Harold has installed detailed fretwork from recycled wood such as a disembled old piano and restored a possum belly kitchen cupboard. Lois fired ceramic tiles and tiled the walls along the kitchen counter. The two have taken a stainless glass class where they learn the trade of leading, caming lines and soldering glass. Harold built a two-story, three car garage that sits behind the house which is home to his woodshop and the Brown’s 1957 cornado yellow Chevy Bel-Air convertible. Harold has spent the last 20 years crafting and working hard to make he and Lois’ dream come true. “It was a cheap trip at the time, but turned out to be very expensive with all the ideas I brought home,” Harold joked.
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
County united:
Hometown Pride agreement to create future vision for Jasper County By Mike Mendenhall Drive into the western gateway to the City of Newton, and what visitors see is a fixer-uper. The former Hy-Vee West building sits vacant, obviously unused for years. The railroad bridge, a unique entrance into the city, has paint peeling, and the west sector does not match gains the city has made since the 2007 departure of Maytag. But cities around the county are ready to give their towns a facelift. In the last six months, Jasper County cities have considered joining the Hometown Pride Partnership Agreement (HTP) in an attempt to collectively gain resources to fix their most needed issues, as well as add a little something beautiful. July 2014 • Jasper County Living
HTP is an initiative of the non profit organization Keep Iowa Beautiful. Its goal is to facilitate planning for Iowa communities with stagnant or shrinking populations, helping city and county leaders find outside dollars to fund important infrastructure and improvement projects. Natalie Umsted is the City of Newton’s management analyst and is spearheading the city’s part in HPT. She said the project began as Newton’s Citizen Advisory Board decided to designate $250,000 set aside by the city council for improvement and beautification. The city was beginning to implement its comprehensive future plan, and the board intended $40,000 of that allotment to create a community grant writer position. Janet Reents was
the executive director of the Newton Housing and Development Corporation at that time. She discovered the newly created HTP initiative and pitched its prospects to several Newton administrators, including Umsted and city administrator Bob Knabel. “It really aligns well with the city’s mission and vision.” Umsted said. “Hopefully, it will create a stronger partnership throughout Jasper County, creating those civic bonds not just within our city but by reaching out and working together. It stands to have a really positive impact on how Jasper County looks and feels, and making the county a place people really want to live in and visit and open businesses in.” The key part of the program is a shared “community coach” who provides grant research, writing and
municipal development expertise to a county’s communities. KIB annually provides $60,000 of the $80,000 necessary to pay for the coach. Local communities provide the remaining $20,000. In the case of Jasper County, Prairie Meadows has agreed to provide $5,000 toward the program, leaving contributing towns and the Jasper County Economic Development Corp. to fund the additional $15,000 per year. Newton is providing the largest city contribution, funding $10,000 to the effort. Each city will pay on a per capita basis. After the agreement has been signed, each city council will be responsible for appointing a local HTP committee which will draft a five-year vision, HOMETOWN See Page 23
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Linden House offers people a chance to get away without going away By Ty Rushing While it may be located in Lynnville, Linden House Inn, Restaurant & Lounge has become a regional destination in Central Iowa for weddings, receptions and food, thanks to its Wednesday Night Burger Nights. Recently renovated, Linden House provides guests with breathtaking views of the North Skunk River and Wagman Mill while offering a relaxing atmosphere from its warm and friendly staff. The house makes the perfect destination for overnight guests who want to enjoy a weekend of golf at Diamond Trail Golf Club or make a short drive north on T-38 to spend a day exploring Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve.
the Chestnut Suite. Linden House isn’t limited to just lovers. There is a bunk room that holds six beds, making it perfect for families or a guys’ or girls’ weekend away. Each room has its own bathroom, except the bunk room, which has facilities close by. Prices vary by room. Linden House also offers dining facilities for patrons and a bar designed to take patrons back to the 1860s. There is a patio on the north side of the property that looks out onto the North Skunk River. A second patio on the south side of the property has a fire pit, and the front porch offers relaxing seats in a rocking chair and a direct view of the Wagaman Mill.
If rest and relaxation are what you are after, Linden House offers that in abundance. Guests seeking a more romantic evening can spend a night or weekend in the Walnut, Oak, Linden or Grand View Rooms. Those who are really looking to impress that significant other may splurge for July 2014 • Jasper County Living
lobby to host events. Another great aspect of Linden House is the privacy. It only offers dining to the general public on its Wednesday Burger Night, which last from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. During burger nights, Linden House not only offers customizable traditional beef burgers, but it also offers turkey and veggie burgers, hand-breaded pork tenderloins and chicken strips all served a side dish of your choice. Linden House is also within walking distance of several shops and amenities in Lynnville.
dining When is it open?
With the exception of its burger night, Linden House is only open through reservation.
Linden House
bedroom What’s there?
Where is it located?
Linden House is located 202 East St. in Lynnville and just a short drive south of the 179 exit on Interstate 80. If you’d like to find out more information, reserve a room or get information for planning an event, you may contact Linden House at (641) 527-2332.
What makes it special?
One of the biggest selling points of Linden House is its ability to host an intimate function in a more quaint area of Jasper County that is still within close proximity to the interstate. With multiple patios, ample parking and an expandable ball room, the house seems tailor-made
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
JERSEY FREEZE In Monroe, Jersey Freeze has been keeping many Jasper County citizens cool during the hot summer months with ice cream and other novelty treats for the past 23 years. “It started out as a hobby business between my brother and I, which got out of hand in a good way,” Jersey Freeze co-owner Lynn Donahue said. “It’s been real fun.” “Its not just about the ice cream; rather, it’s about the experience,” Jersey Freeze co-owner Jill Munson added. Jersey Freeze has gone through many changes since starting out
in downtown Monroe and eventually moving to its current location at 1010 S. Monroe St. on the outskirts of Monroe. Ten years ago, Lynn brought on Jill as a coowner of Jersey Freeze. “It has truly been a highlight to me, having Jill come on board as co-owner and see her run things,” Lynn said. Jersey Freeze employs many high school students from the Prairie City-Monroe Community School district during the summer. “The customers love seeing the high school students working here,” Jill said. “Sunday nights is especially fun, playing oldies music and just spending time having
fun.” Jersey Freeze serves many classic treats as well as more modern ice cream treats. “My favorite is the chocolate shake,” Lynn said. “My favorite is the turtle sundae, which is one of the most popular thing on our menu,” Jill added. Jersey Freeze contributes to many community events and fundraisers throughout the area. “If it’s something within the community, we always try to help out the best we can,” Lynn said. Jersey Freeze is open from noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Jersey Freeze may be contacted at (641) 259-2059.
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By Daily News Staff
July 2014 • Jasper County Living
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
By Kate Malott Rock Creek State Park sits in eastern Jasper County as a location for camping, hiking, boating and fishing. What was once a project originated by many locals is now one of the most popular state parks in Iowa. In 1950, the State of Iowa began construction on what is now Rock Creek State Park in Kellogg, and on Aug. 24, 1952, after 650,000 recorded man hours, citizens gathered for the dedication of the highly anticipated addition to Jasper County. Father T.J. McCann gave the invocation, and Fred Maytag, who served on the Citizens Lake Committee, gave a presentation of its history as of that time. In 1952, Rock Creek was the largest lake in the United States constructed solely for recreational purposes. According to Kory Kinnick, current park ranger of eight years, the Maytag Family was a driving force in the planning and construction efforts of the park. The lake is the third largest artificial state impoundment, and nowadays, it has become a popular location in Central Iowa. Rock Creek is 1,674 acres, and the lake is 602 acres in size. Its watershed comes from 27,000 acres of land that drain into the lake, with the spillway located on the south-end. Rock Creek comes in as second or third in total revenue annually compared to all state parks, primarily because of its lake front camping and recent handicap accessible additions, Kinnick said. Another asset that makes Rock Creek attractive is its location. It’s centrally located between Newton, Grinnell and Marshalltown as well as within the state. The Iowa Speedway hasn’t hurt the park either. On a race weekend, employees see a jump in revenue similar to that of a holiday weekend such as Memorial Day or Labor Day. The park has an 8.5-mile trail used for walking, hiking, biking, horseback riding and snowmobiling during the winter; 196 campsites including 103 with electrical hookup; five boat ramps; a handicap fishing pier; a marina with a variety of rental options; and picnic shelters. Whether it’s to camp, hike or watch wildlife, especially ducks and birds, Rock Creek has become a fixture within entral Iowa. July 2014 • Jasper County Living
Rock Creek State Park: From its stART to where it is now
21
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
setting goals and highlighting specific projects to tackle. The local plans will be collected into a countywide vision, allowing communities to pool information and resources obtained through the partnership. Jerry Schnepf of the nonprofit organization Keep Iowa Beautiful pitched the program to the Colfax City Council in June. He said that planning isn’t the issue for most municipalities. It’s finding the funding and implementation of the vision. “Planning in a community isn’t really an issue. The issue is the implementation,” Schnepf said. “I’ve watched it. I know many of us have. We see communities work hard and get the plan done, approve it, hand it over to the city or manage, and it gets hard to implement those plans.” Colfax City Counci member Karla Jones said at the city’s June 11 council meeting that the community coach could help Colfax facilitate ideas and implementation of a comprehensive city plan the town is currently lacking. “As I have been given permission to talk about residential development and other projects we work on, one of the first things
they ask for is a comprehensive plan, our mission and our vision in order to get grant money to help support these projects. That’s something we don’t have in place right now, and we need to have that in place,” Jones said. “This is one means of having a coach or a facilitator facilitate planning meetings to get community input. It would certainly pay the amount that this would cost us. Because if they don’t do it, we have to have someone else come in and get our mission and vision.” Streets are an inherent issue for Colfax, but the HTP agreement will allow communities throughout the county to prioritize their projects, and leaders hope to see the investment returned ten-fold. Pocahontas County was the pilot region for the agreement. Phyllis Menke is Fonda’s city clerk and a member of the town’s HTP committee. In the two years the agreement has been in place, Fonda and other Pocahontas County towns have seen a total of $455,803.97 in grant money come into their communities funding improvement projects. Menke attributes the unprecedented numbers to the expertise and guidance
of their community coach. “It’s been an amazing thing to see,” she said. “This group we’ve put together is really making it work.” Some projects were small, such as a $422 job to touch up peeling paint on community buildings. But for improvements to Straight Park, Fonda’s key asset, the community coach provided the expertise for the city of 631 to secure a $50,000 Resource Enhancement and Protection grant, adding tent sights and three cabins to the park’s camping area. Menke feels the grant money was a catalyst for community involvement, enlisting the Newell-Fonda Community Schools’ industrial technology classes to build the cabins. The coach also connected Fonda with Iowa State University and Trees Forever to bring cost-free, professional landscape architectural planning to Straight Park. Menke said the community coach was instrumental is teaching her the proper way to write the REAP grant application. But most important to her, and Fonda property taxpayers, most of the Straight Park improvements will not be coming out of city coffers.
JEDCO has been pitching the HTP agreement to city councils in Jasper County for the last six months. JEDCO Executive Director Chaz Allen said his organization will continue to be a facilitator in the process. According to Allen, the Jasper County communities currently signed on to the agreement include Newton, Prairie City, Baxter, Colfax, Lynnville and Sully. He said he continues to lobby the remaining cities. “The biggest thing I want to see is each community setting goals and achieving that in the next three to five years,” Allen said. The City of Baxter approved the agreement at its July city council meeting, and Mayor Steve Smith said for the size of the return, the agreement doesn’t come at a large expense of the city. Plus, Smith likes the fresh set of eyes the program brings with the community coach. “The coaching coming from the outside is a better deal for the city,” he said. “It brings ideas in. It’s not someone in the county that might show favoritism toward one community or town. All the programs will be looked at evenly.”
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living
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July 2014 • Jasper County Living