THURSDAY, OCT. 17, 2024 • VOLUME N0. 124 • ISSUE NO. 5 • 1 SECTION • 10 PAGES
Serving Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper County
Go on a Halloween stroll By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune Downtown Colfax is getting spooky. The Annual Halloween Walk from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 will bring out the creativity from fun and scary costumes to special themed booths and, of course, tons of candy. “I’m always impressed by all the talent and effort the businesses put into their costumes and booths,” Colfax Main Street Director Stuart Patterson said. “It’s always a surprise with what they come up with. Some of them get really elaborate.” Costumes are encouraged for the event but not necessary. The night is aimed at kids aged 0-13 but anyone is invited to participate. Children must be
accompanied by adults throughout the event. More than 30 businesses and organizations will be lined up throughout downtown showing off their creativity. From “Toy Story” to “Frozen,” “Hocus Pocus” and monsters, the booths go all out for a fun night. “We love that our Downtown Colfax business community invests time and effort to make Colfax a fun place for families and we’re really thankful for their participation,” Patterson said. “Remember to support your local businesses.” With hundreds of princesses, ghosts, superheros and animals running around downtown, take special care when traveling in the downtown area. The event is HALLOWEEN WALK | 3
Colfax Downtown Halloween Walk back Oct. 22
File Photo The annual Downtown Colfax Halloween Walk planned for Oct. 22. More than 30 businesses and organizations will be on hand to hand out candy and goodies.
Disc golf is back in Colfax
18-hole course re-opening Oct. 19 with tournament planned for Oct. 20 By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune
Submitted Photo The new Tigerhawk Disc Golf Course has 18 holes and surrounds the school district stadium and athletic facilities. The course will be open to the public Oct. 19 with a tournament scheduled for Oct. 20.
A favorite activity is back in Colfax. The disc golf course, which had to undergo a design change due to the construction of the Colfax-Mingo stadium, will re-open to the public Oct. 19 with a tournament scheduled the next day, Oct. 20. “There was an original 9-hole course that Mark Otto created as an Eagle Scout project,” Colfax Park & Recreation Auxiliary Board Member Doug Garrett said. “In 2005, Don Edwards and I were on the Colfax Park Board and were looking for projects to do. We decided to take that original
course and with permission from the school district, we were able to utilize some school property to enlarge it to 18 holes with only a couple of the original holes remaining the same.” With the help of members of the Des Moines Metro Disc Golf Club including main contact Ryan Hesseltine and Edwards’ daughter, Danae, the expanded course was created. Local volunteers did the dirt work and for years the disc golf course was available to the community. When plans for the new school stadium were laid out, several holes on the disc golf course were impacted. Organizers
waited as construction was completed on the beautiful new amenity and then started to work to bring back the course. “Once the stadium construction was complete, we began to walk the remaining available area,” Garrett said. “We were able to utilize more area to the north of the original course and areas that were closer to the school building and baseball field to complete the course.” Hesseltine once again consulted on the project along with Des Moines Metro Disc Golf Club Board President Amanda Beery. He walked the area, along with Beery, several times and created
a design that allowed flow without large distances between holes. City of Colfax staff took the lead to carve out the course on the property along with several local residents donating time to “polish” the course and make it inviting for users. The Colfax-Mingo School Board and Superintendent Tim Salmon also chipped in by allowing the use of some school property and providing new disc catchers in the blue and orange school colors. “The original 18-hole course was considered by many to be one of the best in the state. It had DISC GOLF | 3
CONSERVATION’S GROUNDBREAKING Veterans affairs GROUNDBREAKING commission adopts Long-awaited environmental education center in Jasper new rules to restore County to begin construction soon order and respect Commissioners agree to adhere to a set of core values at public meetings By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune Stakeholders, staff and supporters of Jasper County Conservation gather Oct. 7 for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site of the future environmental education center in Newton.
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune The future home of Jasper County Conservation’s environmental education center is a lush green acreage rife with tall trees and two ponds near the corners of the property. This past week, donors, supporters, board members and staff of county conservation gazed at the grounds, imagining what it will all look like.
For many of them, this will be the last time they see the site looking so bare and relatively untouched. Soon, construction of the environmental education center, sometimes called the nature center, will take place and begin a new chapter for county conservation. And it was cause for celebration. Jasper County Conservation on Oct. 5 was joined by community members for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site CONTACT US
of the new nature center. Carol Kramer, a longtime member of the Jasper County Conservation Board and a frequent donor to projects, could not be happier to have that golden shovel in her hands. “I have been dreaming about this since the middle ’80s. Actually it was with (former conservation board director) Dennis Black first, and then we GROUNDBREAKING | 3
In the military, the acronym ROE stands for “rules of engagement” and they are guidelines that soldiers use to determine when and how they can use force in a combat situation, but in a Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission meeting it is the values and regulations board members adhere to retain order. Commissioners on Oct. 9 unanimously approved the proposed rules and will work them into future meetings. The idea to add rules of engagement — or “rules of etiquette” as it was sometimes referred — was first presented Media byShaw commission secretary Fred Chabot after recent meetings got heated and sparked backlash. These new rules state board members shall practice being on time, being prepared, acest. 1851
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tively listen, not speak over others, limit side conversations, follow the agenda, stay on topic, respect colleagues and guests, turn off cellphones and allow public comment at the end of the meeting unless required prior. Before the matter was approved by the commission, Chabot stated that perhaps “rules of engagement” was not the correct term to use and that a more accurate phrase would be “core values.” Either way, Chabot and his fellow commissioners were in agreement that the rules be applied to the meeting from now on. When Chabot first pitched the idea, he likened the ground rules to the mission, vision, goals, commitments and core values that the Newton school board had established back when he was first elected to governing body in the 1990s. VA | 3
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