1Cover PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PA I D Permit No. 371 Newton, IA 50208 ****************ECRWSS**** Local Postal Customer
Young professional
Miranda Kulis
A Sully secret
Exodus 31 art studio Colfax cuisine
Cocina Hernandez Kip and Jodi Peters’
SPacious style SPRING | 2015
2
One of the Midwest’s largest independent clinics ...
because you deserve a choice in health care Paul Ruggle, M.D. family practice
Steve Hill, M.D. family practice with OB
Pat Edwards, M.D. family practice with OB
Orville Bunker, M.D. family practice
T.Y. Chan, D.O. internal medicine
Min Pak, M.D. family practice
Mureema Solberg, M.D. family practice
Leighton Frost, M.D. family practice with OB
Zack Alexander, M.D., CCD family practice
Duane Jolivette, M.D. family practice
Andrew Cope, D.O. family practice with OB
Stephanie Bantell, M.D. family practice with OB
Shari Lagodzinski, PA-C family practice
Lacy Lundgren, CNM, MSN women’s health with OB
Starting Oct. 2015 Esgar Guarin, M.D., FAAFP family practice with OB
Janice Gates, DPM podiatry
• family medicine • pediatrics • gynecology (including IUD placement) • obstetrics (including C-sections) and midwife services • women's health • physicals • well-child exams
Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C Beth Preston, ARNP, FNP-C family practice family practice
• • • • • • • • •
colonoscopies vasectomies bone density testing skin surgeries/biopsies cardiac stress tests fracture casting urgent care/walk-in appointments inpatient care screenings
• X-rays • lab testing • medical aesthetics (Botox, dermal fillers) • health education • podiatry (painful toenails, athlete’s foot, corns, calluses, infected nails, warts, hammer toes, bunions, diabetic foot care, heel pain)
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday • 9 a.m.-noon, Saturdays
(641) 792-2112 • 300 N. 4th Ave. E.
2
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
www.newtonclinic.com • www.facebook.com/newtonclinic
3
Index 5
Gift
7
tREASURE
In business since 1984, Marilyn’s Gold Crown Hallmark in Newton offers a variety of products.
5
Diana and Bob Scandridge transform old barn into Exodus 31 Art Studio in Sully.
11
PEOPLE
13
FEATURE
19
ISSUE
21
FOOD
23
HISTORY
Newton and Minnesota native young professional Miranda Kulis finds support from community.
23
Kip and Jodi Peters make spacious home in southwest Newton stylish and inviting.
Jasper County recreational and bike trails on track to connect with other counties.
13
Mexican restaurant Cocina Hernandez heads into second summer in Colfax.
Lost town of Percy, south of Monroe, lives on in memory with annual summer Percy Fair.
Jasper County Living is a Newton Daily News publication Dan Goetz Publisher Abigail Pelzer Editor Kate Malott Niche Publications Editor Jeff Holschuh Advertising Director
Spring 2015 •• Jasper Jasper County County Living Living
Volume 3 Issue 2
3
4
It’s our It’s our differences It’s our differences that make differences that make us great. that make us great. us great.
It’s our differences that make us great. Lonnie Portner, Agent 123 E 2nd Street S Newton, IA 50208 Bus: 641-792-6000 lonnieportner.com
No matter what you value, I’m here to protect it with respect and professionalism. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. CALL ME TODAY. Lonnie Portner, Agent Lonnie Portner, Agent
Make your forty winks feel like a million bucks.
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1101010.1
No what you value, Nomatter matter what you value, I’m to protect it withit with I’mhere here to protect respect and professionalism. respect andwhat professionalism. Noamatter you value, Like good neighbor, ® Like a good neighbor, I’m Farm here is tothere. protect it®with State State there. respect and isprofessionalism. CALL MEFarm TODAY. State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
E 2ndStreet StreetSS 123123 E 2nd Newton, IA 50208 Newton, IA 50208 Bus: 641-792-6000 Bus:lonnieportner.com 641-792-6000 Lonnie Portner, Agent lonnieportner.com 123 E 2nd Street S Newton, IA 50208 Bus: 641-792-6000 1101010..1 lonnieportner.com
CALL TODAY. Like aME good neighbor, State Farm is there. CALL ME off TODAY. entire purchase
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
®
10%
excluding sales items
Women’s Consignment Shop. Jewelry, Clothing, Shoes and Purses. 1101010.1
Welcome to the end of the day™
AmericInn Hotel & Suites Newton 641-791-1160 • 1-800-634-3444
Recover in Comfort & Style • 24 Hour Skilled Nursing & Medical Care • Hospice & Respite Care • Restorative Nursing • Pain Management • Wound Care Treatment • Private Suites 208 S. 8th Ave. E. Newton, IA
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
100 8th St. SE, Suite H
Hours:
Altoona, IA 50009State Farm, M, Home F, Sat:Office, 10 am – 5:30 pm 1101010.1 Bloomington, IL
(515) 967-3501 T, W, Th: 10 am – 7 pm www.LA-TE-DA.com (same center IL 1101010.1 State Farm, Home shopping Office, Bloomington, as Sugar Shack)
Check us out on
Facebook! Expires 5/23/2015
Nationally recognized for our excellence.
Call Heidi for a tour today! (641) 792-7440 We’ll Get You in, Rehabbed, & Home Again
Take Steps to Protect Your Feet! Proper foot care and wearing custom-fit shoes can help prevent the severe effects of diabetes on your feet. We carry a complete line of Dr. Comfort® Therapeutic Footwear. Stop in to see which shoe is right for you! If you qualify, Medicare may cover therapeutic shoes and insoles!
204 N. 4th Ave E. • Newton, Iowa 50208
(641) 78-SKIFF (787-5433) • www.skiffmed.com
www.facebook.com/skiffmed • www.youtube.com/skiffmed
400 1st Ave W • Newton 641-792-3528 M-F 8:30-6:30 • Sat. 9:00-1:30
Since 1968
2015 Summer Event Schedule Thursday, May 21st Golf Outing Saturday, June 13th Ridiculous Day and “Cool Cars” Show Saturday, July 4th 4 of July Parade and downtown activities th
We’re not only the best place to buy tires... We Do: Alignments • Brakes • Shocks • Struts • Tune-ups • Batteries • Transmission Service • Oil Changes • Custom Wheels & More 641-792-7894 • 220 1st Ave. E., Newton
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 7 am - 5:30 pm; Sat. 8 am - Noon; Closed Sunday 4 Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
Longtime gift store: Marilyn’s Hallmark a Newton staple By Jamee A. Pierson For more than 30 years, Marilyn’s Gold Crown Hallmark has been providing greeting cards and gifts to Newton residents and visitors, becoming a well-known and trusted business in the community. The store, 1721 First Ave. E., was originally located in the former Newton Mall, where is was owned by Hans DeVries. Originally in an 1,100 square foot space, the store was purchased by Marilyn’s Hallmark in 1984. “The Marilyn’s comes from my business partner, Randy Emerson, it was his mom’s name,” co-owner Doug Chodur said. The Newton store is one of five Marilyn’s Hallmarks in the state with two located in Decorah and one in both Mason City and Altoona. In September 1997, the store expanded and remodeled to the 4,000 square foot location on the south corner of the former mall. It remained there until 2005, when it moved to its
current location. “We carry a majority of the Hallmark products, and Keepsake ornaments are a big category. The greeting cards, of course and gift collections from Hallmark,” Chodur said. As the largest of the five stores, the Newton location has more to offer with gifts for babies and children, picture frames, candles, a large over-thehill section and very popular memorial items. With a little bit for everyone, Hallmark is sure to provide a unique gift and a card to go with it. “There is a card for just about every occasion,” Store Manager Robin Knoll said. Along with a small selection of Newton Cardinal products, gifts for Iowa and Iowa State fans have been very popular to purchase. “We’ve got a big collegiate department. Its a good category that we have. We have quite a few vendors that we carry from T-shirts and sweatshirts, mugs and all kinds of things,” Chodur said.
Another popular item is purses. “We carry a wide variety of purses, ones that are kind of unique to Newton. A new brand is Mona B, they are recycled and upcycled purses,” Knoll said. A favorite of Knoll’s is the DaVinci and Ginger Snap jewelry offered. She said it is neat to see how people create different, one-of-a-kind pieces from the variety of charms available. Also, new to the store is locket jewelry, where you can fill your locket with selected charms. A highlight of the year is the annual Keepsake Ornament premier. Held during the second week in July, customers have the opportunity to see the newest ornaments available by Hallmark for the upcoming seasons. Marilyn’s Hallmark has been a longtime business in an ever-changing and evolving community. It has weathered many storms and triumphs, with plans to continue for many years to come. “We’ve been around for a while and we plan on staying around, too,” Chodur said.
Address Phone Hours
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
1721 First Ave. E. Newton, IA 50208 641-792-1700 Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
5
Garden Gate
LandscapinG, Ltd 2015 season will be booked soon so please get your projects confirmed and start thinking about booking now for 2016.
Call Today! • Retaining Walls • Custom Fencing • Patios • Outdoor Lighting • Landscape Design • Installation
James Moon, Owner
Phone: 641-791-9062 Fax: 641-791-5358 1217 E. 8th St. N. • PO Box 772 • Newton
The Newton
American Legion You can feel renewed by getting tobacco out of your life. Quitline Iowa is proven to help you quit. Expert Quit Coaches will support you in following a personalized Quitting Plan. You’ll have one-on-one coaching over the phone and online whenever you need it. When you enroll, you’ll also receive 8 weeks of free NRT mailed to your home, which includes gum, patch or lozenges. Step into the fresh air and breathe again. Call today. 1.800.QUIT.NOW | www.quitlineiowa.org (1.800.784.8669)
for your next event!
m for Book our Ballroo
2015
The Legion is all on ground level with complete kitchen, ample parking and OPEN to the Public. Great for reunions, family gatherings, graduations and wedding receptions No membership required
Stop in Mon.-Sat. after 4 p.m. or call 792-3353 for more details.
Produced with funding from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control.
1101 W. 4th St. So. • Newton • 792-3353
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Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
Storytelling through painting A Sully barn transforms into Exodus 31 Art Studio
x Olp By Alex Olp After spending an evening at Sully’s Exodus 31 Art Studio, guests walk away with more than just a painting, they walk away with a story — literally. Exodus 31 Art Studio was created by married couple Diana and Bob Scandridge with the sole purpose of allowing guests to create original art pieces and be inspired by other people’s stories. “The whole design of this studio is to really let people tell their stories on their canvases,” Diana said. “It’s difSpring 2015 | Jasper County Living
ferent from them copying what I’m doing. I give them instruction, but my goal is that they’re really going to be able to tell their story on the canvas.” The art studio was built inside an old barn just feet away from their home. Diana and her husband moved into the property seven years ago. It came with two barns, and the couple transformed one of them into an art studio where they have been holding classes since October. Diana said things are busy right now with the amount of people wanting to take
classes, but they typically host one to four sessions per month. Her classes are much different than a wine and dine experience. “I usually tell a story of mine to get their creativity sparked, but I’ll purposely put my painting away just so their story starts to come out too,” Diana said. “It’s not in everybody’s comfort zone, but almost everybody is very excited.” The art class has no age restrictions. One time a 3-year-old child took part in a class, she said. “These are people who
really want to be inspired creatively and so that’s just been exciting for me,” Diana said. “I love it when I have young kids in here. That to me is the greatest joy. Just to see people having fun, being inspired and really thinking about the creative gifts they have.” Diana also focuses on making Exodus 31 Art Studio a place for healing. She has been approached by people who have lost loved ones or people who are going through difficult times. Painting is a good way
EXODUS | 9
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You CAN Afford McCa n n! McCann Village Apartments are funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Housing assistance is available. Those who qualify do not pay more than 30% of their annual adjusted income for rent and utilities (except for telephone, cable and internet). You may apply if you are 62 years old or above, mobility impaired and age 18 or older, and within HUD established income limits.
Call 792-3018 for information.
M c C a n n V il la g e A p a rt m e nt s
Call to Get DISH today!
641-792-0819 888-898-1456
Your Local Dish Authorized Retailer
www.allthingssatellite.tv
Affordable Senior Living
1105 E. 12th St. S., Newton / www.mccannvillage.com
We pick it up BROKEN...and return it FIXED
wn l your la l a r o f s call u t needs! equipmen
J & G Mowers & Accessories
1004 E. 8th St. N. 641-521-4715 M-F 9-5; Sat. 9-Noon
You’re “welkom” to visit . . .
PELLA www.visitpella.com 888.746.3882
Your Hometown Paint Headquarters
641-792-5647 116 N. 2nd Ave. W. • Newton
. . . for loads of
SUMMERTIME FUN! 80th Annual Tulip Festival–May 7,8 & 9 Thursdays in Pella–Every Thursday in June & July 4th of July Celebration–July 4 5th Annual Lake Red Rock Balloon Fest–July 10-12
CHECK OUT THE NEW PELLA NOW APP BY SCANNING THE QR CODE WITH YOUR SMART PHONE
8
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
EXODUS | continued from 7 to have fun, but also allows people to express themselves on the canvas. “We do some painting sessions that help with healing and just helping them have fun and help them forget a little about some of the pain that they’re going through, too,” Diana said. “We’re really just trying to see how
“I was just wondering how this was going to work.” Just seeing the process was amazing, Bob said. At the end of a session, 20 completely different paintings emerge. “It just shows you that it can turn out absolutely marvelous. You don’t have to be a quote-on-quote ‘great artist’ to really have
we can meet community needs.” It’s safe to say that art is a big part of Diana’s life as she also teaches art at Pella Community Schools. Going from an art class at school to an art studio at home, she said, has been a blessing for her. She spends a lot of what free time she has in that barn. “I love it because I get to really use what I was created and gifted for,” Diana said. Her husband Bob is an industrial art teacher at Lynnville-Sully High School. He constructed the studio for Diana and has been blown away by how the guests find their creative sides while taking a class. “I’m not an artistic person, so I remember the first class meeting we had and just watching people I knew personally and people who weren’t really practicing art at all,” Bob said.
a nice painting,” Bob said. “They’ll be very proud of their work and I think it’s just really cool.” Exodus 31 also takes its classes on the road, and many times to area churches. “A lot of my subject matter is spiritually based, so a
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
lot of churches have been wanting me to come do sessions with them,” Diana said. “We just have a great time with that.” Diana and Bob are spiritual people and the whole idea of creating an art studio in a barn actually came from a dream Diana had one night. “I had a dream about a barn, so Bob and I just started praying about what we were suppose to do with this,” Diana said. “A guy called us one day and said he had a piece of property he thought we might be interested in. We came out here and it had this barn, so we started working on it.” They moved to the property seven years ago with the express purpose of doing something big with that barn. Over the past two years Bob and Diana made the barn not only into Exodus 31 Art Studio, but a place for the family and the kids to hang out. The barn includes everything you would see inside
a typical home — bathroom, kitchen, a TV and a living room set. However, the outside looks like any other barn you see on the side of the road. “We want it to look like a barn still. We left the wood panels on the sides for a reason,” Bob said. “We want it to have that character as much as possible.” The barn has come a long way. It went from having a trough running down the middle and being a home for pigs to becoming a studio for art classes. However, the Scandridges said they are not done yet. “I have greater visions of what we can do with this place,” Diana said. “We just take things as we go and do what we can.” The barn brings in money, but everything the art studio takes in gets put right back into it. The whole art studio was actually created from nothing but repurposed material, which the couple wanted to represent how peoples’ lives can also be repurposed.
9
Think of us for all your upcoming events. • Corporate Events • Reunions • Anniversaries & More!
For your loved one and you, the result is peace of mind.
Farm Fresh Produce
Grocery 792-7950
Full Service Meat Counter
Meat 792-3325
Call for a tour! Kelsey Terpstra
120 N. 3rd Ave. E. Newton Store Hours: 7:30 AM-9 PM
(641) 791-4500 wesleylife.org/adultday
Bundle All Your InsurAnce needs In our WorrY-Free Bucket!
Newton’s only locally owned full service bank for over 80 years.
Shaped by our Past, focused on Your Future.
1802 S. 12th Ave. E., Newton (641) 792-6226
100 N. 2nd Ave. W. Newton 641-792-3010
1821 First Ave. E. Newton 641-792-9420
www.firstnnb.com
®
Home Office: West Des Moines, Iowa
LLC Antiques, Collectibles, and Shtuff! 2 Levels of Quality Antiques, Collectibles, & Primitives
The Extra’s
A Family Business All About Your Family.
By Appointment, Sale, or Chance 210 1st Ave. W., Newton
115 W. 2nd St. N., Newton • 641-787-0353
801 Hwy. 14 South Newton • 641-791-9093
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm Sat. 9am-5pm Closed Sunday
www.mccallmonument.com
Main store is located on West Side of the Square
Think Spring!
• Gravel • Decorative Stone • Rental Items & Much More!
641-792-8650
Hardware and programming available separately. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are trademarks of DIRECTV, LLC.
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928 N. 19th Ave. E., Newton Monday - Thursday 7:30-5:00 Friday 7:30-5:30 Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
The Kulis Effect Career Connection head excited about Newton’s future By Jamee A. Pierson Although Miranda Kulis has only been in Newton for less than a year, she can see it being a place she wants to stay. As coordinator at the Goodwill Career Connection Center, Kulis has seen firsthand how Newton is a growing and changing community, with citizens working to make Newton a destination in central Iowa. “I had never been to Newton, had never even heard of it but I love it. When I started coming down and was here for the Fourth of July festivities it was just so neat to see such participation from people in general. Also, such support for other people in the community,” Kulis said. Originally from Forest Lake, Minn., Kulis first went to the University of Minnesota to become a doctor. She was accepted into several medical programs when she work up one day and thought “this is not what I want to do anymore.” Kulis moved to Colorado and started her own real estate company, growing to nine agents and four assistants before deciding to sell the business and move back to Minnesota. Kulis finished her education and got her degree in business information systems degree from Bellevue University in Omaha, Neb. After moving back to Minnesota, she worked in different businesses doing Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
Kulis
leadership and people management, turning the businesses around and making them prosperous and profitable. She did that in five or six organizations, spending about a year in each one. Next, Kulis began working in human resources at Target, working as a liaison between corporate headquarters and local stores implementing policies. Growing tired of retail business hours, she moved on to be Director of Career Services in a college in Rochester before accepting the position with
Goodwill in Newton. Before moving to town, Kulis read through the comprehensive plan along with city council minutes to see what the city was doing and if it was following through with its plan. “When I started reading the city council notes was really when I started to see everything that Newton had done. That they had invested into this
KULIS | 26
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LARGE ENOUGH TO SERVE YOU, SMALL ENOUGH TO KNOW YOU!
TM
STORE • RESTAURANT & DELI • BAKERY MEAT COUNTER • WINE • ICE CREAM • COFFEE
114 Brick Street SE, Bondurant • THEBRICKSTREETMARKET.COM • (515) 967-2220 HOURS: Monday-Thursday 6am-9pm, Friday & Saturday 6am-10pm, Sunday 9am-6pm
Bakery
Bakery
MUFFINS ........................................................ $199 each • almond • poppyseed • almond poppyseed • blueberry • banana (with or without nuts) • cherry • chocolate chip • chocolate/chocolate chip • lemon • lemon poppyseed
PASTRIES
FRUIT PIES
Apple, Cherry, Peach, Strawberry Rhubarb ..... $699/8” :: $999/9” Dutch Apple, Pumpkin (when available) ...........................$699/8” Pecan (when available) .............................................................................................. $1099/9”
Turnovers ..............................................................99¢
Brick Street Market Catering PARTY TRAYS Full page Veggie Trays • 12 - 18 in .......................... 14 - 43 Fruit Trays • 12 - 18 in ............................ 18 - $54 Pin Wheels ................................................. 2/person BARS................................................................ 75¢0864944 each • apple • blueberry • cherry • raspberry • peach
Apple Fritters, Fruit Danish, or Pecan Danish ...... $109 Cinnamon Rolls ..................................................... $149 BAGELS .......................................................... 75¢ each
Stop in or call the deli department to customize!
• asiago cheese • blueberry • everything • plain • cinnamon raisin • wheat
$
99
$
99
$
99
99
$
• banana (with or without nuts) • carrot • brownies • red velvet • champagne • pumpkin
BREADS
Brat Buns ................................... 30¢/piece :: $299/pkg 8 Cocktail Buns (white and wheat) ...... 25¢/piece :: $299/pkg 12 Dinner Rolls (white and wheat) ......... 25¢/piece :: $299/pkg 12 French Bread ....................................................... $299/loaf Hoagie Buns ...........................................................$299/pkg 6 Hamburger Buns (white and wheat)........40¢/piece :: $299/pkg 8 Croissants ..............................................................$299/pkg 4 Onion Hamburger Buns ....................45¢/piece :: $349/pkg 8 Pretzel Buns........................................90¢/piece :: $349/pkg 4
CAKES AND CUPCAKES
1/4 Sheet Cake ..................................................... $1699 1/2 Sheet Cake ..................................................... $2999 Full Sheet Cake .................................................... $4299 1 Dozen Cupcakes ................................................. $999 Custom Ordered / Cupcake Cake
• almond • chocolate • lemon • red velvet • marble • white • yellow
MISC. CAKES
Dutch Letters ................................................$399/pkg 2 Angel Food Cake .................................. $379/8” :: $429/10” Creme Cakes ........................................................... $499 Fruit Pizza ............................................................. $1599 COOKIES .......................................... 25¢ each :: $399/dz • chocolate chip • chocolate chip m&m • oatmeal raisin • chocolate with white chips • cowboy • english toffee • ginger molasses • monster • peanut butter • sugar • snicker doodle
3” Decorated Sugar ............................................... $149 5” Decorated Sugar ............................................... $249
DONUTS
Regular & Blue Velvet Cake Donuts ..................... 99¢ Glazed Donuts ........................................................... 99¢ Bavarian Cream, Cream or Fruit Filled, Bismark, Long John ..... 99¢
Cream cheese, lettuce, tomato & cheddar cheese served with your choice of meat: • ham • roast beef • rostisserie chicken • turkey
Meat and Cheese Trays ............................ $2/person
Served with your choice of quality meats and cheeses from our meat department.
WINGS
Boneless or Traditional :: Hot or Cold
40 - 120 wings ........................................... $2999 - $8399
SUB SANDWICHES
Served with your choice of quality meats and cheeses from our meat department. • ham • roast beef • turkey • american • colby jack • pepper jack • provolone
Three foot ........................................................... $4500 Six Foot................................................................ $8000
BUFFET Served with two sides, roll and butter
One Entree ............................................................ $900 Two Entrees ........................................................ $1100 Add a dessert, drink, or side ................$100 /person
SIDES
Various choices of potato, salads, vegetables, desserts and drinks
Cakes
$5
OFF Any Graduation
or Wedding Cake Coupon valid through 12-31-15
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Kip and Jodi Peters turn a blank canvas into a sophisticated space By Kate Malott
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
13
Spring brings rain and flowers & possibly extra GREEN in the final sales price of your home.
Rick’s Amoco
The ONLY FULL SERVICE gas station in Newton.
24 hour fuel
Ask about how you can receive a BP gas discount card. This is NOT a credit card!
Spring is a great time to think about a move to Newton Village • No Home Maintenance • No Mowing or Shoveling • No Buy In or Yearly Contract
Come Tour and see what Newton Village has to offer!
• Belts • Hoses • Tires
• Plugs • Batteries • Antifreeze • Tune-ups • Wiper Blades
Check with us for brake & exhaust work, shocks & struts, front/rear alignment, cv shafts & all minor repair service. CAR STARTING SERVICE • FLAT TIRE RESCUE
110 N. 5th Ave. W., Newton 641-792-0115
321 1st Ave. E., Newton • 641-792-8080
Est. 1983
Proudly Serving Central Iowa for 32 years!
CARPET VINYL CERAMIC WOOD LAMINATE WINDOW TREATMENTS
When it’s time to remodel your home, count on us for the Big City Selection with the Hometown Service. Dan & Margaret Ellis 128 N. 2nd Ave. E. Newton, IA floorstorenewton@yahoo.com
• Individual, group, child and family therapy • Psychiatric evaluation and treatment for adults and children • Chemical Dependency evaluation and treatment • Psychological testing for adults and children • Residential and Community Based support services
Hours:
641-792-2999
We are partners with our community, working together to create a place that fosters mental health and supports those with mental health challenges. Programs include:
Mon. 9-6 Tues. - Fri. 9-5 Sat. 9-1
With offices in: 306 N. 3rd Ave. E. Newton, IA 50208 641-792-4012
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2003 N. Lincoln Knoxville, IA 50138 641-842-4925 Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
Living room
Tucked away in southwest Newton is the peaceful and private home of Kip and Jodi Peters and their two sons Sebastian and Tristan. The home is spacious, especially in the basement, and quite secluded for its in-town location. Besides its size, the most significant attribute of the house is the character and design the Peters have given it over the last five years. Peters Kip and Jodi are from Camanche, a small eastern Iowa town near the Mississippi River, and started dating in high school band class. They both are graduates of Iowa State University in Ames. Jodi is a biologist and has been a teacher at Newton High School for eight years, teaching biology, an aerospace engineering course and launching a
biomedical sciences cirricculum next year. She is also a board member of a non-governmental organization called Empower Tanzania, which partners with rural Tanzanians to develop and teach sustainable models of health improvement, education, integrated farming and economic empowerment. Jodi also organized an Empower Tanzania Club at Newton High School. Kip is the vice president in information technology at FBL Financial Group in West Des Moines and is a legal and ethical issues in information assurance instructor at Iowa State University. Kip spent more than 10 years in the Airforce ROTC and served as an information assurance officer. During that time, the family lived in Ohio, Texas and Colorado before settling
down in their home state of Iowa. With a love for aviation, he is currently in the process of getting his pilot’s license. Kip and Jodi have two sons: the oldest, Sebastian, a student at Central College in Pella, and Tristan, a senior at Newton High School who will also attend Central in the fall. The Peters moved into the house in May 2010 and had been living in Ankeny prior. “When we were ready to move and there was a house for sale on this street we wanted to come and look at it,” Jodi said. “We really liked the layout of the house. We liked the spaciousness of the house too.” When looking for a new house, Jodi said her one requirement was a house with a master bathtub so she didn’t have to share one with the boys.
History The house had been empty for awhile when Kip and Jodi looked at buying it. Previously owned and built by Bob and Beverly Eisele, the home was put in a trust and sold as-is with no warranty. Bob Eisele was the dean of aerospace engineering at University of California Berkeley and had aspired to build an airplane in his basement during retirement. “The ceiling was engineered with tresses in it so that it could support the weight of the first floor of the house without having to have supporting walls down the middle of the basement,” Jodi said. Renovations When the Peters first purchased the house, it
HOME | 17
Kitchen
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
15
Pella Extras Consignment Shop
Maternity . Baby . Baby Gear . Shoes Kids . Teen . Toys . Accessories 719 Broadway . Pella, IA 50219 . Phone: 641-628-2877 email: extraconsignment@gmail.com
Silver Lining a kaleidoscope of styles
733 Franklin St., Pella 641-628-3650 www.silverliningpella.com Hours: M, T, W, F - 9-5:30 Thurs. 9-8:00 Sat. 9-6:00
. Gifts . Baby & Kids . Gourmet . Coffee Beans
Sully Sully Community Locker, Inc.
ANTIQUES . PRIMITIVES COLLECTIBLES Phone: 641-628-1095 637 Franklin Street Pella, IA
New Sharon Your Complete Farm & Home Supply Store
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Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
had a very formal design in place with wallpaper, white painted walls and almost all white carpet for flooring. It was an empty canvas to start. The dining room, and center of the main floor, was an inclosed space. The couple decided to open up the space leaving half walls around part of the old dining room and removing the door frame entrance. They built a breakfast bar and new bar counter in the kitchen with reclaimed barn wood. With two big dogs and three boys, Kip and Jodi have been systematically eliminating carpet from their lives throughout the last five years. They’ve put in ceramic tile, hardwood Armstrong oak and cork flooring in place of carpet. Style There are a variety of artworks throughout the house, which adds character to the environment and maintains a simplistic and harmonious atmosphere. Each piece of art has a meaningful story, is an original of a family member or was done by Jodi herself. The house is stylish and sophisticated without being pretentious. With warm and neutral colors in each room along with thoughtful decor, the atmosphere is comfortable and inviting.
Kitchen The kitchen has wood cabinets and white tile counter tops. It has an island in the center with hanging pots above. There’s also a large kitchen nook area with a tall table that seats eight. “Everything happens in the kitchen. You have people over and you stand in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter how much rest of the house you have everyone ends up at the kitchen,” Jodi said. Kip and Jodi found an artist and commissioned her to paint an Italian mural in their kitchen with personalized imagery. Outdoor The house also has a relaxing deck off the back that faces the former Newton Country Club and a large open yard with a wooded area on the west. “The view is amazing,” Jodi said. The family, including dogs Cyber and Truman, spend a lot of time in the back yard, Jodi said. “There’s a bonfire back there so we have fires once and awhile if there is time, and there’s a table for food. We really enjoy being outside.” Since moving in five years ago, Kip and Jodi and their family have created a relaxing, remodeled retreat they call home.
Kip’s Office B E D R O O M
Kitchen
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Basement Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
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Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
Jasper County bike, recreational trails to connect with Polk, Marion By Kate Malott & Mike Mendenhall
Bike trails have been growing in popularity and demand across Iowa in the last 10 years and with the help of grants and organizers, bikers should see recreational trails expand throughout the county in the near future.
Planning
Iowa is a bike friendly state that offers many trails throughout Central Iowa, including the already established 20-mile Chichaqua Valley Trail in Baxter, and with new resources, the National Park Service is looking to expand and connect trails in Jasper County. The Iowa Heartland Resource, Conservation & Development was awarded a grant from the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program last fall, specifically allocated to provide technical assistance and developing concept plans for bike, hiking and walking trails from Marion to
Jasper counties. “We feel strongly the communities involved need to have the greatest input. Our intent is to draw from the expertise of the people who ride trails and know the area, vicinity,” said executive director of the Iowa Heartland Resource, Conservation & Development Sheila Navis. The IHRCD and the USDA are looking to develop rural areas as the economic impact of trails can be of great benefit to communities. According to Navis, Iowa has some of the best trail systems in the country, and trail traffic can increase revenue to businesses like nearby restaurants. “Iowa is quickly becoming known as the trail capitol of the world with over 676 miles of trails in Central Iowa. When completed, the trails will link communities throughout central Iowa, with two loops totaling more than 100 miles each,” said Navis. The ultimate goal of the organizations is to
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
link countries together through lengthier trails, but the first goal is to create a trail system plan that would connect Jasper and Marion counties.
Progress
In December, organizers for the Mitchellville to Prairie City Rails to Trails Corridor Acquisition were awarded a $450,599 grant from the Federal Highway Administrations Recreational Trail Program to secure a 10.75-mile stretch of land currently held by the Iowa Interstate Railroad. A nearly completed recreational trail and proposed connecting segment showed progress in April, as workers for the Iowa Interstate Railroad began removing steal rails and ties on a 10.75-mile stretch of track through Prairie City. Contracted workers for Jasper County were scheduled to lay a limestone chip surface in what has been dubbed phase II of the 5.7 mile
trail. Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante said this final layer of limestone on the Monroe to Diamond Trail segment readies the trail for a permanent concrete or asphalt surface as the funds become available.
Purpose
These trails will eventually connect Monroe and Prairie City to Mitchellville and beyond. It’s been more than a year since the Iowa Interstate Railroad filed a memo with the federal Surface Transportation Board stating its intentions to abandon the rail corridor extending from Highway F62 W southeast of Prairie City through Jasper County to Highway S27 near Mitchellville. This 10.75-mile stretch, dubbed by IAIS as the “Prairie City Segment,” is part of a larger vision to connect Marion, Jasper and Polk counties with a paved recreational trail
system. If abandoned as proposed, county and local leaders could begin the process of designating it a greenway. According to Prairie City City Administrator Manny Toribio, ties and rails were removed recently from State Street to the Prairie City city limits, from the town square to Heartland Co-op moving toward Mitchellville. Work on the Monroe to Highway F62 segment has been a $200,000 endeavor, with grading the former railroad culvert and laying the surface. But Van Zante said the most important difference between this trail and other Jasper County paths like the Chichaqua Valley Trail is maintenance preparation. This trail was planned with a built-in fund for future repairs which, Van Zante said, can be the most costly part of a rec/transportation rail project.
BIKE TRAILS | 25
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Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
Cocina Hernandez heads into second full summer in Colfax Restaurant appeals to Mexican-food aficionados and novices alike By Jason W. Brooks Like any owner of a Mexican restaurant in the U.S., Juan Hernandez knows his customers will have a wide variety of experience with his culture’s food. W h i l e some might have traveled extensively and experienced ethnic food of all types, the closest some Hernandez have come to authentic Mexican food might be Taco Bell or other fast food chains.
Owners
Hernandez, who co-owns Cocina Hernandez in Colfax, said knowing there are many familiarity levels is one of many components of running a successful restaurant. “We want everyone to leave
here happy,” said Hernandez. “And that’s a tough range of people to please.” Hernandez and his partner, German Hernandez, agreed to go into business together, and ended up opening Cocina Hernandez on Aug. 22, 2013. The pair, who aren’t related, have known each other for several years, are first-time restaurant owners. They learned quickly what it’s like to handle a busy weekend, as Mineral Springs Days was held right at the time the eatery opened for business. Restaurant partners born or raised in different parts of a country can bring in different elements when they take their tastes to a new place. That’s the combination German Hernandez, who is from Mexico City, and Juan Hernandez, who is from Jalisco, bring to Colfax.
Menu
“We really tried to have some variety,” said Juan Hernandez, who has been in central Iowa for about 14 years. There are a full range of appe-
tizers, salads, entrées, desserts and mixed drinks. One of the more unique entrées is “Camarón al Crema” — shrimp in a creme sauce, which can be made as spicy or mild as the customer desires. Chorizo fajitas and jalapeno poppers are popular, as is the “Tacos Fiesta” platter. “The ‘Fiesta’ plate has really light, fluffy flour tortillas,” Juan Hernandez said. He said there are some new items on the way, such as a Hawaiian chicken dish. Juan Hernandez said he tries to keep up with current trends and what’s popular nationwide, although national marketing tends to get customers asking for certain items. “Right now, we hear ‘chipotle’ and Sriracha sauce a lot,” he said, smiling. “But that doesn’t mean everyone wants everything spicy. For some people, the regular salsa we put out with the tortilla chips is too hot for them.” The restaurant began with three employees in the kitch-
en and three or four servers, and still maintains that level on weekends. There are about two kitchen employees and two servers during the week.
Environment
Cocina Hernandez has an indoor dining room and offers carry-out. There is delivery available to Colfax hotels at most times. A restauranteur must believe the product is going to catch on, if given the chance. Not only do customers almost always leave happy, Juan Hernandez said, but even one of his cooks, an American, was put off by the spicy fare at first, but grew to love it. “Now, he can’t live without it,” he said, laughing. Cocina Hernandez is located at 7 N. Walnut St., between Division and Howard streets, in Colfax. The hours are 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
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Spring 2015 | Jasper County Living
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After Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
To decedents of Percy the lost Iowa town is alive in memory By Mike Mendenhall PRAIRIE CITY — At the Jasper/Marion County line, about a mile south of Highway F70 West the road turns to gravel. As the dust from a passing car clears, a white, one-room school house appears through the trees at the top of a hilly pasture. For one day out of the year, cars fill the grass and line the road of what is now called the Pleasant Hill Community Building. This is the home of the Percy Fair. This year, the Percy Fair will be celebrating its 85th anniversary. Once the Pleasant Hill Community Fair hosted by the now-defunct township of Percy, the modern event is a large reunion of several Jasper and Marion County families — Keunings, Kains, Wilsons and Burns — decedents of Percy and the surrounding communities. They come together every summer to celebrate the memory of the small, but not forgotten, Iowa town. “It’s come back home, see all your old friends. You have Monroe Old Settlers, you have Prairie City Prairie Days. Every Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
community has its event, and that’s what this is kind of based around,” said Max Keuning, former fair organizer, Prairie City resident and Percy-area decedent. Percy was once a tiny community on the railroad with a major loading hub for grain, livestock and commodities. It was located 2.5 miles from where the Pleasant Hill Community Building and former school house now stands. Percy and the surrounding farmland were taken by development when the area was deemed
needed by the state to construct Lake Red Rock. The Percy Fair originally began as a fundraiser for the Pleasant Hill Methodist Church which sits on the gravel road less than a mile west of the fair. Luke Wilson took over the fair organizational duties from Keuning five years ago. His great-grandparents, Clyde and Liz Wilson, were part of the original Percy
PERCY FAIR | 25
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Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
BIKE TRAILS | continued from 19 City and county leaders hope the trail system will eventually connect south Jasper County with both Lake Red Rock and the Des Monies metro area. Steve Edwards is
the Marion County conservation director and has been in conversation with his Jasper County counterpart to connect the Pella/Lake Red Rock area with the Monroe/Prairie
PERCY | continued from 23 group. He grew up on the Marion/Jasper County line, less than a mile from the fair community building. He said even when the fair effort is small, people still show up. “It’s a town that most of these people have never seen before, but it’s about coming together as a community. I never saw the town of Percy, but we still represent it as a community.” On the ridge where the community building sits, the backdrop for the Percy Fair looks nearly painted onto the horizon. Trees with green pastures roll the landscape. Next to the school house, the PCM Junior Class serve beef burgers, muffins and hot dogs cooked on rollers. Serving the community reunion became an annual fundraiser for PCM’s prom nearly a decade ago. At the 2014 fair, a large cork board was covered with photographs of present Percy community members sat near the dinner table. About 75 children, adults and old-timers gathered for last
year’s fair. A small tractor pulling kids in a train made from cut steel drums drove around the community building. Children played a fishing game, dangling small metal buckets attached to rods over a suspended bed sheet and catching small prizes on the other side. Teens threw a football through a tire and ladies at the registration table sold bingo cards. Keuning and his older brother both attended the one-room school house before it closed in 1959. The school may have ended, but the fair continues. It used to be larger, Wilson said. In a nearby pasture, ball fields once stood — a place where Percy Fair-goers would play pumpkin ball. For many years, the town of Percy had its own baseball team. For the 75th anniversary, the fair hosted a large Percy-descendant fishing trip, and the Methodist Church and the Prairie City Church of the Brethren began their joint-Sunday church service which contin-
Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
City corridor. Edwards said his current focus is connecting the Robert’s Creek Park Cossway with the Cordova Park observation tower near Pella. Eventually, the conservation officer would like to see Cordova connect with a trail along Highway 14
ues to this day. Both Wilson and Keuning have seen changes in the fair over the years, but love for the Percy community — the essence of the celebration — remains. Percy, Keuning said, is quite unique. It’s 8 miles from Monroe, Prairie City, Runnells, Swan and Pleasantville. The fair is a place for those local families to reunite and reconnect once a year. And Keuning said while playing 4-point pitch anywhere in this part of Iowa, it will be “cutthroat Percy rules” — it’s a tradition. “The tradition has continued,” Keuning said. “Does it change over the years? Yes, all things change, but it’s still here.” The fair traditionally ends with an early-morning horse ride on the “Percy Trail.” The ride takes fair-goers on a ridge overlooking the Des Moines River. Shirley Hotovec moved the rural Prairie City area when she was 2 years old. Now 56, she has only missed two Percy Fairs. Hotovec — originally a Burns — looks out her kitchen window and
North into Monroe, but he said this is a costly project that is still in the distant future. A completed trail system is still out of reach, but with planning, funds and community support, riding bikes from one county to the next will be efficient, easy and safe.
can see the fair every day, as she owns an acreage just across the road from the community building. She owns horses and is quite active in the yearly horseback ride. “Every time I go I think, this is going to be a lot of work, nobody is going to show up,” Hotovec said. “But then I get there, you see kids doing these crazy things — this fish pond or just being dirty.” During last year’s
Percy Fair church service, Prairie City Church of the Brethren Pastor Tim Peter used his sermon to put the community’s land into perspective. He told his congregation to listen to the insects, birds and the occasional passing car. “Eighty-four years ago the sounds weren’t much different than they are right now,” he said. “As God was, as God is and as God shall be forever.”
PERCY FAIR, 2014
25
KULIS | continued from 11
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plan, and that they were following through on it very progressively and aggressively. I was very, very impressed,” Kulis said. Kulis has worked to be very involved in the community becoming a member on the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Weekend Pit Stop. She also became a Rotarian and is an ex-officio for the Newton Development Corporation board. “I try to be as involved as I can.” Having worked so hard with her career at Goodwill and being involved in activities during her first year here, she is excited to take advantage of what Newton and the area have to offer. “I am a very outdoors kind of person. I’m really interested in hiking, walking, fishing, camping, those kind of things but having moved in July, getting the center up and running and trying to be at a lot of activities, I didn’t have much of an opportunity to take advantage of that last year,” Kulis said. “I am really excited this year to be able to start to use the walking paths and all of the things we have to offer here.” She is also looking forward to attending her first Des Moines Barnstormers game and has tickets to see the Iowa Cubs play this summer. Kulis is excited about the future of Newton both the community and at her job. Working to help connect employers with employees and help fill the gaps in town with people who have been trying to find jobs for years is what she loves to do. She has plans to stay in Newton and work to help it grow in the coming years. “I love this town and would like to stay in it. I feel a vested interest in it. I chose to not only work here but live here and chose to stay here as opposed to living in Altoona and commuting. I love what the community is doing and even how we’ve been accepted so quickly into the community has been very, very exciting.”
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Spring 2015 • Jasper County Living
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