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Learn more about nonprofit Teen Challenge in Colfax
PRSRT PRSRT STD STD U.S. U.S. Postage Postage PP A A II D D Permit Permit No. No. 371 371 Newton, Newton, IA IA 50208 50208 ****************ECRWSS**** ****************ECRWSS**** Local Local Postal Postal Customer Customer
Jasper County Living
inside: Is enough being done to protect Iowa’s water?
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
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
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
Darryl Johnson, OBGYN
Esgar Guarin, M.D., FAAFP family practice with OB
Past
Janice Gates, DPM podiatry
Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C family practice
Beth Preston, ARNP, FNP-C family practice
Our roots were established as far back as the 1920s. The providers of Newton Clinic have been caring for this community for more than 80 years.
Present
Jodi Holloway. ARNP, FNP-C family practice
Angela Nelson, PA-C family practice
Jeff Olson, DPM foot/ankle surgeon
Future
Our clinic continues to grow to meet your needs. Whether you want a male provider or a female one, a new graduate or a veteran doc, we have the right health-care provider for you.
Always
Every patient has a choice. Thank you for turning to Newton We want to make you better when you are sick, keep you healthy when you are well, help you grow your family when Clinic. Thank you for letting us treat you ... like family. a little one is on the way, and help you say goodbye in peace when your journey is done. Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. • Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon Same-day appointments always available!
(641) 792-2112 • 300 N. 4th Ave. E., Newton • www.newtonclinic.com • www.facebook.com/newtonclinic
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Enjoy your spring 2018 edition of Jasper County Living: 5 — Event calendar: Don’t miss these exciting local events 9 — In-depth: Are Iowa waterways being protected enough? 13 — Nonprofit: Learn how old cars help shape new lives 19 — What’s In? Spring goodies have sprung up in local stores 23 — Get to know: Who’s keeping our piece of Iowa beautiful? 25 — Dig in! Make this fruity dessert for pizza fans 27 — Wellness: Learn the whole range of Kinetic Edge services
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Volume 6/Issue 1 Dan Goetz Publisher Abigail Pelzer Editor Courtney Tompkins Graphic Designer
Jasper County Living is a Newton Daily News publication. Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
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Don’t miss:
mark your calendar now! events: March -June 2018 March 14, 10 to 11 a.m. OWLS Jasper County Armory/Annex Building John Krzton-Presson, Horticulture & Local Foods Program Coordinator for ISU Extension Service in Jasper County, will kick-off the gardening season with a program about what to plant in your yard for wildlife this year. March 15-17, 7:30 p.m. “Mame” Newton Community Theatre Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Based on the novel by Patrick Dennis and the play “Auntie Mame” by Lawrence and Lee. Directed by Wanda Blount and Rachel Faidley. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for youth. For reservations, call the box office at 641-7921230. Doors open at 7 p.m. March 15, 6 p.m. What Should You Know About Gambling? Newton Public Library Mandi Vellinga from Employee and Family Resources offers an inside look at gambling addiction. This free program will discuss signs of addiction, treatment options, and the rising rate of gambling addiction among teens Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
and young adults. All ages welcome. March 18, 5:30 p.m. Photo Hikes Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Photographers of all skill levels and camera types are invited to join a photo hike. Discover the prairie through your lens. Meet at the Prairie Learning Center. Be prepared for the weather and walking off the trails. Check the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge page for any weather cancellations. Pre-register at 515-994-3400 or Doreen_vanryswyk@fws.gov. March 19, 5 to 7 p.m. Discussion about Concussion and other Brain Injuries Newton Public Library This free community event will teach more about brain injury services in Iowa. Annie Randolph, Neuro Resource Facilitator with the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa, will be providing an overview of the BIAIA’s services and how they connect Iowans to brain injury services and community support. Lights snacks and beverages will be provided. Contact Annie Randolph at 515-331-8984 or arandolph@ biaia.org with any questions.
March 20 and March 27, 5:30 p.m. Spring Gardening Series: Lawn Care Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Checkoff your spring chore list to ensure a beautiful lawn year round. ISU Extension and Outreach and Project AWAKE have partnered to offer a spring gardening series on March 20 and 27 at the Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens’ Krumm Center. This event is free and open to the public, no registration required.
Last year’s Re-Prom was a delight.
April 7, 10:30 a.m. Saturday Nature Tots Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Children ages 3-5 are invited to bring their favorite adult to read stories, explore outside, make crafts and more. Register at Doreen_vanryswyk@fws. gov or 515-994-400. April 7, 7 p.m. Third Annnual YPJC Re-Prom Maytag Event Center This Young Professionals of Jasper County Event is open for all to relive prom memories with dance and entertainment. The theme is sock hop.
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Don’t miss: mark your calendar now! ...continued from page 5 April 11, noon Newton’s Football History Jasper County Museum Learn about some football history at the Jasper County Museum Brown Bag Lunch and Learn at the museum, 1700 S. 15th Ave. W. in Newton. The museum will host a Lunch & Learn on the second Wednesday of each month. The subject will be different each month. For more information, call 641-792-9118. Participants need to bring their own lunch. April 21, 9 a.m. Earth Day Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge In honor of Earth Day, volunteers are invited to help restore prairie and oak savanna ecosystems. Volunteers will participate in stewardship activities. Free lunch provided. Groups and individuals are welcome. Pre-registration is required, email Richard_hager@fws.gov to sign up. April 28, 10 a.m. International Migratory Bird Day and JDS Ceremony Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Spring is the perfect time to explore the prairie and search for migrating birds. Bring your lunch and enjoy the ranger-led morning bird hike, live animals displays, crafts and other activities. The program is open to the public and activities are free. The annual Junior Duck Stamp Ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
Don’t miss the plant sale.
May 2 Red Pride Service Day Newton Community Eighth annual Red Pride Service day brings the Newton High School and middle school students and teachers together with the City of Newton to take part in volunteer opportunities around the city. May 4-5 Project AWAKE Annual Plant Sale Newton Arboretum Annuals, perennials and more available for sale; all proceeds will benefit the Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Pre-sale and first pick of the plants will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Admission is $5 at the door. The Plant Sale continues Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit www.newtonarboretum. com or call 641-791-3021 for information. May 11, 6 p.m. Thunder Nites Newton DMACC Campus Kicking off its seventh year, Thunder Nites bike night returns to Newton gathering more than 1,000 motorcycles to Newton.
May 18-20 and May 24-26 ‘A Few Good Men’ Newton Community Theater This Broadway hit about the trial of two Marines for complicity in the death of a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay sizzles on stage. The Navy lawyer, a callow young man more interested in softball games than the case, expects a plea bargain and a cover-up of what really happened. Tickets go on sale May 7, and are $12 or adults and $10 for youth. For reservations, call 641-792-1230. Director: John Dougan; Ass’t Director: Shawn Pavlik. Showtime will be 7:30 p.m. May 18-19 and May 24-26 with a 2 p.m. show May 20.
the other activities are scheduled until 1 p.m. The Visitor Center will be open until 4 p.m and the trails and wildlife drive are open to sunset. To register go to “Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge” on Facebook and click “Coming.” For additional information, 515-994-3400 or Doreen_vanryswyk@fws.gov.
May 19, 9 a.m. Pedal the Prairie Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge Mount up for a spring bike ride on the Prairie Parkway Bike Trail. Ride among wildflowers, toss seed bombs, meet live animals, hike the trails and participate in games and crafts. The Prairie Parkway (10 miles) and Family Fun Ride (1.5 miles) both start at 9 a.m. The main entry road reopens to vehicles at noon but
June 7-9 Newton Fest City of Newton Join in the third annual celebration of all things Newton: arts, food, music, history, Red Pride and more. More details will be available closer to the event at www.newtonfest.org.
May 31, 7 p.m. Summer Concert Series Maytag Park The City of Newton will once again host its annual summer concert series at the Maytag Bowl in Maytag Park in Newton. Performers will vary. Shows will be Thursdays through the summer
To submit an event for consideration in future Jasper County Living calendar listings, email information to newsroom@newtondailynews.com.
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Water Quality Crisis
Are the latest steps to improve Iowa waterways enough? By Mike Mendenhall
Backhoes and dump trucks from Leffler Dirtworks were deep into the lake bed at Mariposa County Park in February, fighting frozen soil and standing water in freezing temperatures. The workers are contracted by the Jasper County Conservation Board to dredge Mariposa Lake, part of a bigger water quality protection plan for the Mariposa Watershed, located six miles northeast of Newton. Before the dredging is done in September, about 146,000 cubic yards or 10,000 dumptruck loads of dirt will be removed from the lake that attracts 17,000 visitors per year. In many ways, Mariposa Lake is an analogy for Iowa’s statewide water quality crisis. For more than five decades, large amounts of sediment runoff has been entering the lake from adjacent soybean and corn fields in the watershed, decreasing both its surface area and depth. Phosphorus, a chemical fertilizer attached to the sediment, Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
has caused algae blooms and is a major contributor to the lake’s poor water quality. The lake was listed on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources list of impaired waters in 2002. In the 580-acre Mariposa Watershed, 66 percent of the land is dedicated to row crop production. The Jasper County Conservation Board manages 22 percent of the watershed as a park, with the remaining 12 percent made up of permanent grass, pasture, farmsteads and roads. IDNR data compiled in May 2004 breaks the problem down by the numbers. Mariposa has 1,143 tons of sediment per year entering the lake due to soil erosion. Phosphorus is entering the lake at 1,760 pounds per year. The goal of all this work is to reduce the annual internal contribution of phosphorous in the watershed by 80 percent and drop the delivery of sediment into the lake by 75 percent. The IDNR’s study showed the sedimentation in Mariposa lake is predom...continued on page 11
Backhoes, skid loaders and dump trucks dredge Mariposa Lake Feb. 14. The work is part of a large water quality protection plan underway in the Mariposa Watershed six miles northeast of Newton. 9
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Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
Are the latest steps to improve Iowa waterway enough? ...continued from page 9 inately agricultural in origin and directly related to the watershed’s ratio of farmland to lake. The numbers from Mariposa are a typical story in many of Iowa’s waterways. Nitrate and phosphorus runoff from farm fields endanger aquatic habitat, and experts say topsoil loss will hurt Iowa crop yields and field viability. A debate has been raging for years between Iowa farmers, ag industry lobbyists, environmentalists and lawmakers on who’s to blame and what to do about it. Statewide developments In the case of Mariposa, Jasper County Conservation is drawing from various funding sources to help implement filter strips, grassed waterways, terraces and grade stabilization’s structures on the watershed’s cropland and reinforce a variable water level wetland, among other practices. At the state level, lawmakers are finally giving farmers financial incentive to implement the 15-year-old nutrient reduction strategy, started by former Gov. Terry Branstad, in the form of a $282 million water quality bill passed by the legislature. It was the first bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in the 2018 legislative session. The biggest impact from the water quality law will be long-awaited funding for soil management practices. The law will provide $156 million over the next 12 years for cover crops, buffer zones and bioreactors — techniques that experts like Prairie City grain producer Gordon Wassenaar says will reduce nitrate and phosphorus runoff into waterways and slow topsoil loss. Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
Wassenaar farms a large row crop acreage south of Prairie City and was an early adopter of cover crops and no-till farming. Wassenaar has partnered with Jasper County NRCS for the last several years to host a bi-annual cover crop day on his farm to educate local farmers about the soil health benefits of cover crops. In April 2017, Wassenaar filled a vacancy on Jasper County’s NRCS board. He sees the new water quality law as a good step, but with one big caveat — the law doesn’t provide funding for NRCS groups to hire administrative staff to provide oversight and guidance for farmers wanting to implement practices outlined in the Nutrient Reduction Strategy. “As a farmer, I’m glad to see money coming, but as a board member we have to manage it,” Wassenaar said. “(Jasper County NRCS Director) Curt (Donahue) had some retirements. The state hiring freeze leaves Curt on the shorthanded side.” Wassenaar said, although funding will be available for farmers to buy cover crops and install buffers and terrace, they will need education on how to plant and remove cover crops and design the buffer and terrace systems. He said this could be difficult for NRCS at current staffing levels. Under the voluntary Nutrient Reduction Strategy, only 625,000 of Iowa’s 25.9 million cropland acres utilized cover crops. Wassenaar said cover crops not only protect topsoil from runoff caused by precipitation between harvests, it also absorbs much of the excess nitrate and phosphorus left in the fields after the corn and soybeans are removed, keeping it out of the rivers,
Patrick Chase, a National Resource Conservation Service soil scientist at the Newton USDA Service Center, speaks at the Prairie City farm of Gordon Wassenaar during a cover crop field day Nov. 2016. Wassenaar hosts field days annually to demonstrate how active, healthy biology in top soil can better withstand erosion caused by water.
lakes and streams. Wassenaar said it was soil erosion, not water quality, that sparked him to first implement cover crops. But the practice benefits both. The Prairie City farmer now loses less topsoil over 10 years than he did in one year before cover crops. Experts also point to overall soil health as a reason to use cover crops. According to the NRCS, cover crops have been shown to raise the percentage of organic matter in topsoil, increasing the ground’s water holding capacity. “We have a soil that is very productive but needs protection. Everything starts on the farms and everything finds its way to town. When agriculture takes a dive, it will make it’s way to town. We need (urban consumers), and they need us,” Wassenaar said. Politics of water quality The new law will also create a Water Quality Financial Assistance Fund managed by
the state treasurer’s office. A portion of existing tax money from metered drinking water that currently goes into Iowa’s general fund and school infrastructure will be rerouted into the new program, targeting cities and water utility projects. Some of the money will be awarded through the Iowa Finance Authority to communities to improve existing or install new wastewater treatment facilities. The law will also direct funds toward ground and surface water improvement projects. Critics of the legislation say that the bill should have called for new money to address these problems, as opposed to redistributing existing money from other areas of the budget. Both Reynolds and Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Fred Hubbell spoke about the water quality push in separate January visits to Newton. Reynolds touted it as a victory and serious step in addressing the state’s water quality issue. Hubbell thinks that the bill initially proposed in the Iowa House was a better — although still imperfect — option than the final version. During a Newton campaign stop in January, Hubbell said he doesn’t think the legislation will help water quality and only divert money from education and health care programs. He said he would have vetoed the bill. “Water quality is a big problem in our state the needs a permenate solution, not a temporary solution,” Hubbell said. “The House bill was a better bill because it had watershed involvement and it had some monitoring, which are both very important. But, again, it wasn’t big enough.” 11
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For sale, for God: Teen Challenge Auction offers hope, redemption to addicts
T
By David Dolmage
wenty years ago, Brian Schroeder was out of options. Sitting in a jail cell, hopelessly addicted to methamphetamine, the Urbandale native had been arrested following a high-speed chase. Without any options, he got down on his knees and began to pray; he was facing some serious prison time. “I did not have anything going in life,” Schroeder said. “Honestly, before I came to Teen Challenge I was scared I was going to be a drug addict for the rest of my life.” Feeling desperate, he called his father, who told him about the Teen Challenge of the Midlands, a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Colfax. With the overcrowded Polk County jail filled to capacity, Schroeder was doing the “county shuffle” and was transferred to a facility in Albia, where his life started to turn around. “I was desperate, sitting in jail, I felt like I had no vision for my life,” Schroeder said. Sitting in the corner of the county jail was another man, reading a Bible. Schroeder approached him, and the two men struck up a conversation. The other man was already enrolled in Teen Challenge and had come back to the jail to serve the remainder of his sentence, part of a plan to put his life back on the right track. He encouraged Schroeder to do the same thing, and together the two men prayed in the corner of the jail cell. “Something was moving in my heart, and I was really interested in what they had to say,” Schroeder said. Despite an initial reluctance from his lawyer and the judge, he was court ordered to Teen Challenge. It became the first step towards a long recovery for Schroeder. At 23 years old, he’d been abusing drugs and alcohol for more than a decade, and once he started using methamphetamine after high school, Schroeder said it was “game over” for him. “I made poor choices, I was a rebellious kid,” Schroeder said. “I started smoking cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, I just had ...continued on page 14 Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
The many faces of Teen Challenge (from upper left, clockwise): Brian Schroeder, former graduate runs the Vehicle Donation Program, Randy Davis, a member of the Cedar Valley Gearheads, a nonprofit that provides cars for single parents, Auctioneer Kenny Felton credits the program with saving his life, VDP manager Brian Schroeder manages the vehicle auction, Executive Director Michael Hunsberger, Ken Morrison checks in bidders, VDP driver Brian Hart. 13
For sale, for God: Teen Challenge Auction offers hope, redemption to addicts ...continued from page 13 no inclination to say no.” Looking back on what his life was like two decades ago, it’s hard for Schroeder to believe all of the things that happened to him since. He’s married now, with four daughters, and he and his wife live in Colfax. Ever since he graduated from the Teen Challenge program, he’s stayed close to the program, and 11 years ago, he came back to the Teen Challenge and helped them start their Vehicle Donation Program, or VDP. The program, modeled after a similar program in place at a Teen Challenge center in Milwaukee, Wis., takes donated vehicles and resells them to raise money for the organization. Schroeder, along with two assistants, Brian Hart and Ken Morrison, manages the program, which has grown to become the biggest yearly fundraiser for the organization, bringing in $90,000 to $150,000 a year, filling the coffers at the Teen Challenge. Since its inception in 1960 by David Wilkerson, Teen Challenge has grown across the country. Wilkerson, an Assemblies of God pastor, founded the program after he left his ministry to work with street gangs in New York City. The first group home opened in Brooklyn in 1960 and has spread nationwide from there. In Colfax, Teen Challenge occupies a former hot springs hotel on the edge of town. There’s a sister facility in Omaha, and a facility for women in Beatrice, Neb. The faith-based rehabilitation program differs from other drug and alcohol based Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
rehabilitation programs by focusing on a spiritual awakening instead of focusing just on addiction, but the men who’ve graduated from the program say the difference has been what’s brought about signifigant changes in their lives. Nationwide, the program boasts a success rate of 86 percent, although some critics claim that doesn’t account for students who fail to complete the year-long program. A 2001 article in the New York Times interviewed social scientests who said Teen Challenge disregards the people who dropped out during the program, even though most other such programs also count only those who complete their program. Those who complete the program often form a lifelong bond with the organization. Many of the men who’ve graduated from the program have come back to work for the program, like Brian Hart. Like Schroeder, Hart was struggling when he found Teen Challenge. Living on the streets of Omaha, Hart was homeless and hungry when he stopped at a local church in 2011. The Illinois native had been bouncing around the country, he had nothing with him except a sack of clothes “that had more bedbugs than clothes,” Hart recalled. “I knew God was the answer, but I couldn’t get out,” he said. His family had given up on him, and he was out of options when he stopped at the church. After talking to some of the church members, they told him they were members of Teen Challenge, working out of the Omaha location. Hart was amazed by how hap-
Randy Davis inspects a car for sale during the auction preview. Davis, a member of the Cedar Valley Gearheads from Waterloo, works with other automotive enthusiasts to find, buy and fix up cars for sale. The vehicles are then donated to single parents.
py they seemed to be, and he knew he wanted in. “I wanted what they had, they talked about this like it was the best place ever,” Hart said. The church members pooled their money to pay the $750 intake fee, and Hart got his wish. After graduating, he accepted an opportunity to come back to the program several years ago to help with the VDP program. Hart and Ken Morrison are the program’s two drivers; they make most of the pickups. When he heads out to pick up a car, Hart always takes at least one student with him. For him, it’s a chance to spend some serious one on one time with the other man, and hopefully, help draw him closer to God. “I spend 40 hours a week with students,” Hart said. “They send me the guys that are having problems, students at risk of getting kicked out.” Together Hart and a student roam central Iowa, picking up donated vehicles. For many of the students, working with Hart is the first many of them
have had a job or any responsibility. The work can be demanding, loading cars onto a trailer in all sorts of weather, but Hart said the best part of his job is after they’ve loaded the vehicle. They always ask the individual who’s donating the car if they have anything they’d like them to pray for. “It makes me feel like I can do something, like I can give something back,” Hart said. Hart and his wife live at the Teen Challenge facility in Colfax, eating and worshipping alongside the students, and he said he enjoys staying close to the program. He also stays in touch with former students, and every time he sees them share a success story, he feels proud of what the center’s accomplished. “When I see graduates on Facebook, with their wife and kids, that’s huge,” Hart said. “I feel like I had a part in that.” For former graduates like Schroeder and Hart, having graduates come back as staff members in the program provides a benefit hard to put ...continued on page 15 14
For sale, for God: Teen Challenge Auction offers hope, redemption to addicts ...continued from page 14 into words. They say students have a chance to talk with someone who’s been in their shoes, someone who knows what the bad days are like, and how challenging the program can be at times. “How do I know?” Hart asked. “I know because I’ve been right there, scrubbing that toilet.” Ken Morrison has seen the same changes happen over the course of journey at Teen Challenge. Working with students in the VDP, Morrison has watched students change over time. He describes it as a “softening” in their approach, a big change that develops over the year-long program. “We show them how to interact with others,” Morrison said. “They see what it means to be a Christian man who has a good work ethic and isn’t afraid to pray for people.” Morrison, like many others came to the program after running out of options. Unlike in his old life, where his friends “were friends because of what you had in your pocket,” Morrison has made genuine connections at Teen Challenge. After graduating from the program in 2006, Morrison came back to work full-time at Teen Challenge in 2007. Now he says he can’t imagine doing anything else. In Colfax, he’s found a better relationship with God, and as he mentors students going through the same program he went through, he takes pride in being able to show them the same path he’s walked. “We’re able to comfort them in the same comfort we’ve received from God,” MorriSpring 2018 • Jasper County Living
son said. “I tell you what, it’s amazing to see God work in the students.” Over the years Morrison has seen plenty of students “come in hard;” watching them soften up is a sign to Morrison that the program is working. Like Morrison, many of the students have been in jail. He knows they’re used to being tough, building walls between themselves and the outside world, but at Teen Challenge, the walls come down. “The tears come, the snot hangs from the nose, it feels pretty good to see those guys come in hard and watch God soften them,” Morrison said. “Those are the guys that become the softest.” Morrison still remembers the moment he “softened.” After being in the program for three months Morrison wasn’t court-ordered to stay. Worried he’d make a mistake and be kicked out the program, Morrison blew up at a staff member one day. Confessing his fears, the staff member comforted him, and everything hit home for Morrison. “He was worried about me, and I saw that, I was like ‘this guy really cares about me,’” Morrison said. “These people cared about my success, about my relationship with God, and that just blew me away.” For many students in Teen Challenge, it doesn’t take long for the program to start to take hold. Jeremiah Carroll, from Pella, has only been in the program for three weeks, but he’s already starting to see it change his life. Homeless, and living on the streets of Pella, Carroll wandered into a local coffee shop. With no
shoes, and nowhere to go, Carroll had just been wandering around town when he met a local pastor and his wife. They bought Carroll a pair of shoes and dropped him off at Teen Challenge in Colfax. “My life has done a 180-degree change, I’m a better person, I’ve given my life to God,” Carroll said. “I’m headed down a great path now.” Carroll is one of the students who helped clean up the cars and prepare them for the auction. When Hart and Morrison do the pickups, they quickly evaluate the donated car to determine what the best course of action is, some end up heading straight to the junkyard. If the vehicle runs and has a good title, it usually means it’s a good candidate for the auction. Students at Teen Challenge will clean up the cars and prepare them for the sale, and as the program continues to grow they’re expanding the amount of work they’re able to do. Recently, the program added an automotive lift, enabling them to do more work on the cars before they’re sold. Many of the students that come into the program have some automotive skills, and Schroeder said they want to try and make use of as many of those skills as possible. In the beginning, Teen Challenge staff members used to consign vehicles to local auctions, but they ended that when they realized they could hold their own auctions, avoiding the costly fees auction companies charge. It also gives students a chance to give back, Schroeder said. “It helps equip the guys with some auto skills,” Schroeder
said. “Many of these guys are coming out of addictions, they haven’t been holding down a steady job, and oftentimes their work ethic isn’t the best.” After graduating from the program Schroeder went to work with his father, wholesaling cars and preparing them for auctions. When administrators from Teen Challenge called him about coming back to start the VDP program, Schroeder leaped at the chance. They visited a Teen Challenge program in Milwaukee that ran a similar program, and Schroeder knew it was something he could bring back to Colfax. “With my experience, I saw we could do the same thing,” Schroeder said. “I can see clearly that God prepared me to do this.” When Rev. Warren Hunsberger first approached Schroeder about starting the VDP program, Schroeder had no idea how quickly the program would grow. Hunsberger took over Teen Challenge in 1994 and is now the program’s regional director. His son, Michael Hunsberger, runs the day to day operations in Colfax as the program’s executive director. Michael Hunsberger said he believes the VDP program has been a success because of how involved students become in the program. “For nonprofits there are always ways to bring in a dollar,” Hunsberger said. “We love VDP because it takes students in one on one situations in the program.” Hunsberger said he’s seen firsthand the connections Schroeder, Hart and Morrison have forged working with stu...continued on page 17 15
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For sale, for God: Teen Challenge Auction offers hope, redemption to addicts ...continued from page 15 dents to pick up the donated vehicles. That service component is an integral part of what’s made Teen Challenge a success, Hunsberger said. In addition to the VDP program Teen Challenge of the Midlands also runs a construction program, including rain gutter installation. Staff members work with students to teach them how to use the equipment, and Hunsberger said the program has gotten so popular, they’ve been forced to turn down work. “People see we come in with a better workforce, we show up on time and we work hard,” Hunsberger said. “We turn down more work than we accept.” Fundraising is a critical component of the mission at Teen Challenge, Hunsberger said. Many of the students who are served by the program are unable to pay any of the costs associated with their treatment, oftentimes the $750 intake fee is donated by local churches that sponsor students. Hunsberger estimated it costs $1,200 a month minimum to house a single student, an amount he said 99 percent of students can’t afford to pay. Programs like VDP and the gutter business help cover that cost, making sure the doors stay open at Teen Challenge of the Midlands. Hunsberger said he isn’t interested in taking federal or state money, he wants to continue his track record of success by running the program his way. “Federal and state money comes and goes, you can’t rely on that,” Hunsberger said. There are always strings Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
Teen Challenge of the Midlands auctioneer Kenny Felton auctions off vehicles during the Teen Challenge Auction. A graduate of the program, Felton credited the teen challenge with saving his life.
attached.” While Hunsberger declined to provide the success rates for the program, he said he believes Teen Challenge has been more successful than traditional rehab programs because they have taken a wider view, they aren’t just focused on addiction. Some outlets have reported the success rate for Teen Challenge programs as high as 86 percent. Hunsberger says he insn’t interested in numbers, instead, he’s interested in bringing students closer to God. “They look at addiction as the key,” Hunsberger said. “We don’t focus on drugs and alcohol.” On auction day, Randy Davis is one of several hundred buyers who’ve braved blowing snow and cold weather to check out the vehicles for sale. Davis, a member of the Cedar Valley Gearheads is here to look for a few good cars. The Cedar Valley Gearheads fix up cars and give them to single parents in the Waterloo area, and Davis is hoping to grab a few as they cross the auction block.
“I’ve known about this ministry for awhile, and I just wanted to come out here and support them,” Davis said. During the auction, former graduates are everywhere, even auctioneer Kenny Felton is a former graduate of the program. After finding the program in the early 90s, Felton said it changed his life, and he’s eager to give back, participating in every auction since the program got underway. “God used this as a vehicle to change my life when I was a drug addict, and I was struggling God used this to change my life,” Felton said. Schroeder said it’s not uncommon for former graduates to come back to the program, Teen Challenge of the Midlands has a robust alumni program, with many of the former students finding great success in their personal and professional lives after leaving the program. Schroeder said he believes the year-long program offers students a chance to experience a true spiritual awakening, something he thinks is the
key to success. “The guys that stick it out here see tremendous success,” Schroeder said. Students and staff members are quick to offer their own testimonials about how the program has changed their life, most claim they don’t know where they’d be if they hadn’t found the program. For Hunsberger, watching former graduates come back to help with the program is a sign their ministry is working, and he said the program wouldn’t exist without so many staff members and alumni supporting their work. Even in the midst of Saturday’s snow Felton said there isn’t anywhere else he’d rather be; he’s found a community of people that care, and he wants to see that community keep going as far as it can. Rubbing his hands together to ward off the cold, Felton said his favorite part is seeing so many people participate in the auction, from staff members to students, even buyers. “Just the people, the people, just rubbing shoulders with people that care,” Felton said. Over the past 20 years, Schroeder has seen the program change so many lives, but he’s still in awe of God’s grace. The former drug addict has come a long way since he first walked through the doors of Teen Challenge of the Midlands, and he said he’ll always be grateful. “I have four kids and a beautiful wife now, I came in here a single, broken drug addict,” Schroeder said. “Coming out of addiction, I never felt like I had the ability to be a leader, I’ve learned how to be a leader here at Teen Challenge.” 17
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Top trends to inspire your outdoor living (BPT) - Outdoor living spaces rank first among special function rooms desired by consumers, according to the American Institute for Architects, and so homeowners are expected to be going all-in for the outdoors in 2018. Trex Company, a maker of premium decking and railing, has gleaned insights from contractors, homeowners and industry experts to compile the following outdoor living trends that will dominate this year: Year-round enjoyment Among the biggest trends is a shift away from seasonality as consumers adopt more of a year-round mindset, no longer restricting outdoor living to spring and summer. Thanks to new high-performance materials and innovative design approaches, homeowners everywhere are transforming their outdoor spaces into multi-seasonal extensions of their homes. For example, Trex contractors have reported an uptick in requests for its RainEscape deck drainage system by clients looking to add multi-seasonal living space underneath an elevated deck. Minimal maintenance, maximum enjoyment Just because people are spending more time outdoors doesn’t mean they’re willing to put in extra hours for upkeep. In fact, high-maintenance materials like wood are seeing a decrease in demand as people are opting for offerings that deliver better performance and sustainability. Unlike wood, high-performance composites resist fading, staining, scratching and mold — and won’t rot, warp, crack or splinter. No Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
sanding, staining or painting is required, and food and drink spills wash off easily with just soap and water. Comfy cozy Among the hottest design influences right now is “hygge” (pronounced hoo-gah) — the Scandinavian term for a feeling of coziness and comfort. This year, outdoor spaces will beckon homeowners and their guests to relax and rejuvenate with hygge-inspired accents, from plush cushions and throws to protective pergolas, cozy warming features and outdoor lighting. Residential goes commercial While railing matched to the decking remains popular, an increasing number of homeowners are taking advantage of the complementary decking and railing pairings afforded by new railing materials in modern, metal finishes, as well as sleek designs inspired by commercial architecture. More homeowners are in-
spired by outdoor spaces they find in commercial settings, such as hotels and urban rooftops, and want to replicate those looks in their homes. A prime example of this commercial-to-residential trend is the growing popularity of horizontal railings such as rod rail — a sleek, industrial look that’s ideal for optimizing a panoramic view. Hide and chic With the increased usage of outdoor living spaces comes higher demand for chic decor and privacy. An easy design trick that adds personal style and functionality, lattice panels are perfect for enhancing privacy and concealing storage areas or unsightly views. With styles ranging from romantic to deco, lattice panels can be integrated into any outdoor area and applied to structures such as arbors, trellises and gazebos, or used as decorative wainscoting or deck skirting.
Fun and games Kids are not the only ones who enjoy playing outside. Outdoor play spaces for all ages are on the rise, including everything from swimming pools and embedded sandboxes to regulation cornhole courts, horseshoe pits and dedicated spaces for volleyball, badminton and bocce ball. Beyond yard games, electronics manufacturers now offer televisions and entertainment systems specifically designed for the outdoors, taking into consideration differences in lighting and outdoor acoustics. Meanwhile, new storage options include durable wall-mounted television and entertainment centers that beautifully protect pricey electronics from the elements, while concealing all of the unsightly — and potentially unsafe — cords and cables. For more information about outdoor living trends, go to www.trex.com. 21
Q. Planning and community development seems like detective work when trying to solve a need of the town. What is your process like? A. Obviously, I came in with a lot of experience because of my prior professional career. We did a lot of projects, applied for grants. But what has been a great surprise, people here in Jasper County are so smart and so quick in picking up ideas, it has been a lot less effort than I thought it would be.
Q. What do you hope to make some progress on in the next few years through Hometown Pride? A. A huge undertaking we need to make some progress in the next couple years, and it is starting to happen as far as I can tell, is housing. We have got to get more housing in small towns. I saw a developer purchase some lots in Mingo in their subdivision. Kellogg also has some subdivision lots still available in the new subdivisions on the north side of town. We have got to get more housing built, get kids into the school system, get people living in the community. We have got to start doing a little more aggressive job with that.
Q. After spending most of your life in eastern Iowa, what made you switch gears and come out to Jasper County? A. I had great career in Iowa In Kellogg, we were kind of City for more than 30 years. I rooting around some previous got to the point where I was planning work for Holmdahl tired of being an adminisPark, and we discovered that trator, and I wanted to get back into the We have got to get more housing practice of planning. I built, get kids into the school system, am strong, strong believer in planning and get people living in the community. community development. I have seen the difference in places like We have got to start doing a little Iowa City. One of the more aggressive job with that. first things I did, even Spring 2018 • Jasper County Living
Q. What kind of impression would you like to leave on Jasper County once your contract is up and your work here is done? A. I am going to stay here for the rest of my life, as far as I know. We have a project right
w:
In spite of the fact, that I (learned that) all of the towns have distinctive personalities, I have really found it really easy to work with people, the caliber of people I work with are people who are going to have the initiative to get things done.
there is this money from the last flood, which I think was 2010, but a while ago, that had never been spent. They said, “Gosh, I wonder if we could spend this?” I said, “Let’s get on the phone with FEMA and see.” They had 25 volunteers show up to put the playground system together. It took them four hours. It is beautiful and great enhancement to the park. Exactly the kind of thing we want to accomplish with Hometown Pride. Something that makes the community more desirable.
no
Now about halfway through Hometown Pride’s five year contract, the community coach and the members of the nine Hometown Pride committees he directs have made a large impact on area with projects like, new playgrounds in Kellogg and Mingo, the DMACC Greenspace project in Newton, Quarry Springs in Colfax, Geise Park in Baxter and the Red Rock Prairie Trail in Prairie City and Monroe.
prior to my interview in Newton, is that I spent a day just driving around the county to get a feel for the town, seeing where they were, learning the school districts, some of the real basics. I knew very little about Jasper County and was probably encumbered by some of the notions about the towns.
k to
By Anthony Victor Reyes
About three years ago, Jasper County was introduced to Jeff Davidson as their new community coach for Keep Iowa Beautiful’s community improvement program, Hometown Pride. Born and raised in eastern Iowa, the University of Iowa graduate came into the small town-loving communities as a stranger equipped with more than 30 years of experience with economic development, city planning and community development in Iowa City.
et G
Q&A: Hometown Pride coach shares vision, love for Jasper County
Jeff Davidson, Jasper County Hometown Pride Community coach, has been the coach of Jasper County for nearly three years.
now we are hatching right now on the 164 interchange. TPI has very generously donated one of their giant wind blades to us. We are going to take it and erect it on the 164 interchange. I assume long after I have completed my contract here in Jasper County, I am going to see that wind blade, all beautiful and illuminated at night and I am going to have a lot of satisfaction out knowing that the committee out here in Newton that I was a part of was able to get the project executed and it becomes an iconic feature.Hopefully, I am going to leave a legacy here when my contract is up. I really feel like that is the case now. The folks that I am working with have such pride, and I really feel like the work will continue after my contract period. For more about the Hometown Pride Program, visit keepiowabeautiful.com. 23
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directions: 1. Mix vanilla, cream cheese and sugar. 2. Spread across cookie crust. Fruit Dessert Pizza: Fruit! - Strawberries, grapes, blueberries, banana, oranges or any other favorite. directions: 1. Slice larger fruit in half 2. Place fruit on the pizza in a fun, unique design.
Serving up ‘healthy’ pizza By Jamee A. Pierson
Making a sweet, healthy dessert can often be challenging when preparing for a family gathering or a rendezvous with friends. Stacy Grams, owner of Stacy’s Sweetstuff in Newton, shares her recipe for a fruit dessert pizza, bringing together the best of both worlds: cookies and cream cheese and fruit including strawberries, grapes, pineapple, blueberries or any other colorful favorites as toppings.
25
Top 5 deer-resistant plants for shade By Deb Wiley
The combination of deer and shade can be tough for gardeners. Luckily, these beautiful perennials tend to be left alone. 1. Pulmonaria Deer don’t prefer plants with hairy or fuzzy leaves. Pulmonaria, also called by its unattractive common name of lungwort, grows in tidy clumps of sword-shaped green leaves splashed with silver or white speckles or even entire leaves of silver, topped in spring with blue, pink, purple, red, or white spring blooms. Plant where the soil doesn’t entirely dry out. Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 1 to 2 feet wide. Zones 2 to 8.
2. Corydalis Corydalis grows in moist shade or partial shade where its yellow, purple, blue, or rose flowers draw everyone’s attention but the neighborhood deer. Ferny blue-green foliage looks good through spring and summer. This plant self-seeds but is easy to pull if it grows where you don’t want it. Size: 12 to 18 inches wide, 1 to 3 feet tall. Zones 4 to 9. 3. Wild ginger If you need a spreading native groundcover for a shady, moist spot, wild ginger (Asarum canadense) easily keeps its slightly fuzzy heart-shaped leaves until frost brings it down. Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 18 inches wide, but spreading. Zones 4 to 6.
4. Brunnera Heart-shaped fuzzy leaves grow in a wide variety of leaf color patterns such as silver with green veining. Check out ‘Sea Heart’ and ‘Jack Frost’. Tiny blue flowers hover over the leaves in spring but you’ll grow this plant for the beautiful leaves. Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide. Zones 4 to 8.
Hellebore
5. Hellebore Several species of hellebores grow well in Iowa, including Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten rose and hybrids. Buds
emerge and bloom in a wide range of colors in early spring, often before the waxy, handshaped leaves fully emerge. Since they are drought-tolerant once grown for two to three years, they’re excellent for dry shade under trees. Size: 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Zones 4-9.
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ents with are anxiety, medical trauma, foster or adoption. She said it’s never too soon to get help for the child. “From my standpoint I would say if your kid is struggling in any area — school, sleep, play and social interactions, let’s do an evaluation and try to find a strategy that might help them be more successful,” Bell said. Scotton said as a private practice, Kinetic Edge really focus on providing physical therapy and other consulting services that really fit well for the individual. “We can react to changes in the world that some of the bigger health systems can’t,” Scotton said. “That’s a big part of why it’s been so rewarding, we can do what we do and live out our higher purpose, serving our community.” With 53 percent of people in the U.S. living with some type of skeletal or muscular pain, a lot of people don’t address their pain properly, according to Scotton. “A lot of people have pain and problems that keep them from doing the things that they want, but a lot of times they just learn to live with it,” Scotton said. “They might have sought attention a few times in the past and not had great results so a lot of times people learn to live with it.” After seeking services at Kinetic Edge, clients have been able to get rid of their pain and return to work, and others are thankful they can do things they enjoy again. Scotton said people have been overjoyed they can lift up their grandkid again, go to the grocery store or complete basic tasks. “It’s really been organic growth and lots of people have heard about what we
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By Kayla Singletary
With a vision of creating communities of “happy, healthy and hope-filled people,” the staff at Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy in Newton go above and beyond to fulfill their clients’ needs. Now located at 1715 First Ave. E., the new clinic was built between Hallmark and Napa Auto Parts. Clinic Manager and owner of Kinetic Edge in Newton Matt Scotton, D.P.T., said the new location is more handicap accessible than its previous clinic on East Third Street North. Along with better accessibility, the location is more visible to passersby who are shopping at Hallmark or working out next door at Anytime Fitness, which brings in clients. Kinetic Edge offers pre-employment testing for companies such as TPI and Trinity. It wasn’t until 10 years ago the private practice added physical therapy services, such as worker performance, athletic training, sports rehab, pre-work screens and health coaching. Jordan Bell, occupational therapist, hosted the first Pediatric Sensory Integration workshop in February for parents to learn about sensory integration and reflexes in their children and how those two things can impact a child’s independence. Since starting at Kinetic Edge in November, Bell said she worked with a 7-year-old child who was able to sleep through the night for the first time following different exercises. ”The most rewarding part is just seeing the look on friends and family’s faces when the kid accomplishes their goal,” she said. Other areas Bell assists cli-
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Kinetic Edge relocates, continues mission
Lauren Saehler works with a client who is using a strengthening band during physical therapy training. (below) The Newton staff.
do,” Scotton said. “A lot of people come to us directly because in Iowa you don’t have to have referral from a physician.” The physical therapists have worked with clients who were referred by family members, and a lot of people come back when they have a reoccurring problem. “It’s super rewarding people trust us and want us to help their loved ones as well,” he said. In addition to helping clients
with their needs, Kinetic Edge works on giving back to nonprofit organizations. Around $50,000 was donated by Kinetic Edge’s locations in Newton, Pella, Oskaloosa, Des Moines and Ames. “Each of the 30 employees got to select the nonprofit of their choice and present a $1,000 check to that group,” Scotton said. “That is always a very rewarding part of what Kinetic Edge does.” To contact Kinetic Edge, call 641-791-9675. 27
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