Progress Anniversary

FDFAA Phillips Luxury Apartments Auditorium

'Labor of love'

FDFAA Phillips Auditorium opens in November 2022

By KELBY WINGERT kwingert@messengernews.net

Theater has returned to the stage in the former Phillips Middle School Auditorium, thanks to the hard work of the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association.

The auditorium, now known as the FDFAA Phillips Luxury Apartments Auditorium, is part of a 10year agreement between the FDFAA and the owners of the apartment building. The FDFAA leases the space for no rent in exchange for committing to make $150,000 in improvements in the auditorium, said Shelly Bottorff, executive director of the FDFAA.

Over the last three years, the FDFAA has put a lot of work into the auditorium, including cleaning and replacing the stage curtains, replacing and painting the stage flooring, replacing the carpeting and cleaning the audience seating.

“This has been a labor of love,” Bottorff said.

The FDFAA breathed life back into the 100-year-old auditorium, which will be available for rent as a place for rehearsals, dance and music

recitals, theater and live music performances, community events and more. The FDFAA also received a liquor license so it can sell adult beverages during events.

“This is an amazing project … a tremendous community project,” said Randy Kuhlman, CEO of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way, noting all the

community organizations that contributed to the fundraising.

The Fort Dodge Study Club held two fundraisers in the space, raising $44,000, he said. The Community Foundation gave a $20,000 grant, the Ann Smeltzer Charitable Trust gave a $25,000 grant and MidAmerican Energy Co. gave a $10,000 grant.

A grand opening ribbon cutting was held Nov. 10 with the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. Following the ribbon cutting was the opening showing of Comedia Musica Players’ production of “9 to 5: The Musical.”

“This has been a really emotional week,” Bottorff said then. “Getting ready for the show and the grand opening.”

Now that the first phase of the Phillips Auditorium improvements are complete, the FDFAA is looking toward the second phase, which includes raising the approximately $100,000 needed to install an in-house sound and lighting system.

The next production on the Phillips stage will be “The Vagina Monologues” presented by the FDFAA in collaboration with Fort Dodge Pride. Shows will run Feb. 9-11 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at the door or at Shiny Top Brewing. The show is for mature audiences only.

-Messenger file photos by Kelby Wingert

ABOVE: The Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association held a ribbon cutting with the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance in November to celebrate the end of the first phase of renovating the FDFAA Phillips Luxury Apartments Auditorium.

RIGHT: Esther Laupp plays Judy in Comedia Musica’s production of “9 to 5: The Musical” at the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association Phillips Luxury Apartments Auditorium.

Shelly Bottorff

Blanden Memorial Art Museum A good year for art

By HANS MADSEN editor@messengernews.net

Like so many other places that were affected by the COVID pandemic, the Blanden Memorial Art Museum is on the path to getting back to normal again.

Museum Director Eric Anderson said that the last year has been one of positives at the Blanden, and that there are many bright highlights on the horizon for 2023.

The big highlights of 2022 included bringing back the annual Art Festival.

“We had a virtual one in 2021,” he said. “It just wasn’t the same. We brought back the Art Festival this summer. That was really exciting to get that going again.”

The 2023 Art Festival, scheduled for June 10, is in the planning stages.

Visitors also enjoyed a variety of exhibits in 2022, with lots more to look forward to in 2023.

“We had some really great art exhibits,” he said. “We had sculpture, mixed media, photography and wood objects.”

One of the current exhibits features the photography of Evan Price, of Fort Dodge. The Iowa Central Community College graduate’s work caught Anderson’s eye when Price was still a student. “I remembered his work from when he was a student,” Anderson said. “I offered him a show.”

Hired in 2022 and up to speed, Art Educator Angela Ayala is an Otho native who’s returned to be part of the community.

“She’s been really fantastic

Art Festival returns

at getting the program up and running,” he said.

Another significant milestone in the last year was the purchase of a building at 224 S. Eighth St. to use for off-site art education. The current classroom is a small room in the basement of the museum. The new building is expected to be ready to use in 2023.

The first piece is called “Betty and the Howling Fox.” It will have a white painted belly lit from the inside, an illuminated red plastic plate that lights up and a large tail.

“There’s also a light coming out of the chicken’s eye and beak,” Anderson said.

He has a small model of the piece on his desk. It’s by artist Dan Perry who also created the “Chronicle,” which is located near the Municipal Building.

The other piece is by artist Steve Maeck. Anderson said it’s made of white oak and industrial scrap. It’s called “Are There Trees on Mars.”

Both are in the 12-foot range.

“Betty” is funded by the Blanden Charitable Foundation. “Mars” is funded by the Blanden Charitable Foundation, The Catherine Vincent Deardorff Foundation and the Anne Smeltzer Charitable Trust.

“We own the building,” Anderson said. “We’re getting bids to finish the interior and then move our classroom into a bigger space. There’s lots of anxiety, but we’re also really excited. We hope to be in there in August.”

The project is a partnership between the city of Fort Dodge and the Blanden Charitable Foundation in the form of a 10-year loan. Anderson said he would like to see some community partnerships to help retire the debt. As a 501(c)(3) organization, donations are tax deductible.

In the spring of 2023, visitors will be able to see two new sculptures installed on the south side of the museum.

Another highlight was a large donation of prints.

“We got a huge influx of prints from the Richard Black estate,” he said. “He taught at Drake and lived just outside of Farnhamville. The Blanden was willed his collection. A lot of it is student work from the last 40 years.”

Other donations have also made their way to the Blanden.

“You never know what’s going to show up,” Anderson said. “We got some folk art from Haiti donated.”

One of the perks of his job is that often new pieces will spend some time with him in his office.

“They rest here till I find time to catalog them,” he said. “I love it because I love art.”

BLANDEN

-Messenger photos by Hans Madsen

MEMORIAL ART MUSEUM DIRECTOR ERIC ANDERSON mimics the pose struck by “Betty and the Howling Fox” by sculptor Dan Perry in front of the museum recently. This piece is a model of the real sculpture, which is about 12 feet tall and features several illuminated panels.

LEFT: This sculpture, called “Are There Trees on Mars” by sculptor Steve Maeck, will be installed this spring on the southwest side of the Blanden Memorial Art Museum.

Oleson Park in Fort Dodge Monkelien Pavilion opens

By KELBY WINGERT kwingert@messengernews.net

After Donna Monkelien’s husband died in 2000, she had an open park shelter built near the Oleson Park Bandshell so she could look out her living room window from across the street and see that structure and remember her late husband, Richard.

“She loved Oleson Park,” Lori Branderhorst, director of the Fort Dodge Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, told The Messenger in November 2020. “That’s where she and her husband had their home. That was her neighborhood park. Something struck a chord with her with that park.”

When Donna Monkelien passed away in December 2019 at the age of 89, she left $183,000 to the city of Fort Dodge to maintain and improve the park she loved so much. Her generous donation has helped lead to the new Donna Jean Monkelien Pavilion now completed at Oleson Park.

“It seems really fitting to name the park shelter after her,” Branderhorst said.

The brand-new building features a capacity of up to 75 people and has a kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave, is heated and air conditioned and has handicap-accessible restrooms.

With the inclusion of air conditioning and heating, the Donna Jean Monkelien Pavilion is the city’s first year-round park shelter, Branderhorst said.

A shaded patio overlooks the new landscaped pond that was completed in 2020. Branderhorst said there are plans to add a deck to the west side of the building to overlook the deer enclosure.

Construction on the building began in the fall of 2021 and was completed in the summer of 2022. Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge, was awarded the contract for the project by the City Council for $549,000.

Branderhorst said the completion of the pavilion is the seventh phase of the master plan updating Oleson Park that started about six years ago. Other phases of the update include the closure of the former Oleson Park Zoo, a new deer enclosure, cleaning up the pond and other improvements like adding more lighting and security cameras. The city has invested about $2 million in improving and modernizing Oleson Park.

“Oleson Park is one of our oldest parks in the city,” Branderhorst said. The park shelter that previously stood on the site of the new pavilion was old and falling apart.

Next on the plans for the park are creating an open air pavilion on the other side of the pond, and creating a donor memorial area. Eventually, Branderhorst said, the department hopes to improve the trails in the park’s forest area.

-Submitted photo

THE DONNA

JEAN MONKELIEN PAVILION

at Oleson Park opened in July 2022. The shelter will be open year-round and is fully air conditioned and heated.

Lori Branderhorst

Rees Truck & Trailer

Celebrating 30 years

By KELBY WINGERT kwingert@messengernews.net

When Paul and Cindy Rees opened the doors of Rees Truck & Trailer in August 1992, they had two young sons and a baby girl. In fact, as the business celebrated its 30th birthday last summer, so did the couple’s daughter.

In the summer of 1992, after 10 years of working as a diesel mechanic for Larry Clement at Clement Auto and Truck Inc., Paul Rees decided he wanted to break out on his own. He and Cindy started their business — with him working in the shop and she, then a recent graduate of Iowa Central Community

College’s accounting specialist program, in the office.

Because of his work with Clement, Paul Rees was already known in the area as a good diesel mechanic, which helped bring in customers in those early days.

Rees Truck & Trailer provides mechanic services and parts for semi trucks and trailers, as well as sales of new Mack trucks and used trucks of various makes. The business has since grown over the last three decades.

In December 2000, they bought Clement’s Mack Truck dealership.

“Mack is one of the elite trucks on the road and when the opportunity arose we jumped on

it,” Paul Rees told The Messenger in January 2001. “We have good customers. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have been able to purchase the dealership.”

In 2002, the business expanded to a second location east of Sioux City in Lawton.

Rees Truck and Trailer does work for several local businesses and farmers, Paul Rees said. What’s the key to 30 years of success?

“Our employees,” Paul Rees said. “We’ve had a lot of good employees over the years. Still do.”

Rees Truck and Trailer has truly been a family business over the years. The couple’s

oldest son, Paul Jr., is the service manager, and their younger son, Greg, worked in the shop for many years. Their daughter, Tiffany, helps out in the office.

-Messenger file photo PAUL REES credits his business' success to his employees, pictured here.

St. Paul Lutheran Church

160 years ... and counting

Rev. Kendall Meyer reflects on church's legacy and its future

By BRANDON BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net

St. Paul Lutheran Church is celebrating 160 years in Fort Dodge.

Located at 400 S. 13th St., the St. Paul church and school were formed on Dec. 20, 1863. The original church, called Old Stone Church, was located at 615 Third Ave. S., with the first resident pastor being the Rev. Gottfried Enders.

The church is a staple of the community, providing education and religious services for Fort Dodge.

When speaking with current pastor, the Rev. Kendall Meyer, about the legacy and impact St. Paul has had on the community, he said, “Our service to the community and to the congregation is by having our school. St. Paul School is one of the oldest and longest continuously running private schools in the area. I would say that that is an important legacy with our preschool and also with our (kindergarten) through eighth-grade school. There's a lot of people in the Fort Dodge community that have gone through the preschool, and I hear that all the time. So I think that's an important legacy as far as education is concerned.”

“I think another part of our

legacy would be the continued service for the community with many and various projects that we've done to help better the community,” he added. “Over the years that has been a priority, like with Pastor Henderson and his beginning SOS (Serving our Servants) to help with the firefighters, police officers, and the first responders to how we make meals for the Beacon of Hope. And we have different kinds of activities. We have a food pantry and we help to support some of the social activities that are around town. To help as

much as we can, I think that is an important legacy. And also just the fact that we are you know, that we faithfully, continually have worship services provided every weekend.”

Though the history of St. Paul is looked back upon fondly, there is a dark spot that persists within the congregation. On May 13, 1999, an arsonist burned down the church. While St. Paul was able to rebuild, the event has lingered in the minds of the church members. Though Meyer wasn’t the pastor at the time, he was able to provide a feel of how

the event continues to impact the church.

“The people I’ve talked to have said a variety of things,” he said. “They’ve said it humbled the church and made them realize that things could change in the blink of an eye. Others have said how it taught them not to take things for granted and how transient material things really are. Others have brought up watching it happen and hearing the stained glass breaking because of the heat. Overall the sentiment I’ve seen is that we’ve learned that life will still go on

and the community will come together in the midst of tragedy.”

Meyer then discussed what he personally, and what the church at large, have learned over the years of serving the community.

“I've been here for three years,” he said. “So, for me personally, what I’ve learned is that time, especially over the last three years, has become difficult for a lot of people. And it's easy to think that you're alone. It's easy to think that you don't have support. It's easy to think that you have to get through things by yourself. And one of the important messages that we have at St. Paul is that we are not alone, that our God is faithful, and that he promises that He is always with us and promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. And through the storms of life that we have, for the challenges that we deal with in life, and those times when we feel like we are alone, that we can hold on to the promise that God gives us that He is there with us. And I think that's one of the biggest issues, especially coming out of the pandemic. Moving into where we are now, there are still a lot of people who are challenged with going out into the public. And so because of that there is a bit of disconnect with other people. And I think that in society in general, especially in Fort Dodge, there is that disconnect. When you feel

See ST PAUL, Page 7D

-Messenger file photo by Hans Madsen

GRAYCEN LANTZ, 6, of Callender, gets her face decorated by Rhonda Richardson, of Duncombe, during the St. Paul Lutheran Church and School Harvest Festival in October 2022.

Kendall Meyer

St. Paul

Continued from Page 6D

alone, when you feel by yourself, that can lead to certain behaviors that can end up being destructive behaviors.”

Meyer continued by saying, “And so that's why that central message is, we are not alone. That God promises not to leave us nor forsake us and that he will continue to keep his presence with us.”

When speaking about the church’s future goals, Meyer said, “Moving forward, one of the biggest focuses we want to continue to do is to build relationships with families that have younger children. We've seen that families with young children have kind of dropped off the map a little bit when it comes to worship services, or you know, for worshiping and also for participating in church life in general. And so, one of our focuses, moving forward is to continue to build that relationship with families of young children.

“We also want to continue to strengthen what we're already doing with the senior members of the congregation, you know, especially visiting those that are not able to come to worship and continuing to allow them to feel that they are still part of

the family of St. Paul.”

Meyer continued to speak of work outside the congregation by stating, “Outside of the congregation, we want to be able to continue to improve the quality of the education we provide. I mean, we already have a good quality education at St. Paul, for our school, but we want to continue to grow in that and continue to make more of an impact in the community with our school. And so we are planning on different ways that we can do that.

“When I first got here, some people would say that St. Paul School is the best

secret in town, and I don't want it to be a secret any more, I want people to know that there is good quality education that can be provided at St. Paul School.

“And then also continuing to work with some of the social services here in town. One of the things that I've done is I've been working in partnership with other churches, the first Thursday of every month. Many of the pastors from the other churches get together in the afternoon to talk and encourage each other, to pray for each other.”

“We want to continue to do things in partnership with other churches for

social services and providing for need in the community,” the pastor said. “And we want to continue to be a place where different organizations can use our facility for events and for different activities that they may need a bigger space to be able to do them in. Celebrate Recovery continues to have their meetings here. And when I first got here three years ago, we just had one meeting on Sunday. And now we've gone to three meetings where we have Sunday, Monday and Thursday. So that's a wonderful opportunity for us. So continuing to provide opportunities for people to utilize our facilities in ways that would be beneficial for them.”

“Our vision here at St. Paul is to glorify God and to make an impact in the community by being the heart, hands, feet, and voice of Jesus,” Meyer said. “We desire to be disciples of Christ that make disciples for Christ. That's our desire. And we do that by glorifying God and impacting the community. Our hope is that as we continue to do that, people will be able to see that that's what we're about as we move forward.”

"We desire to be disciples of Christ that make disciples for Christ."

— Rev. Kendall Meyer

Fort Dodge Housing Housing on the horizon in FD

Two major construction projects are in the works

By KELBY WINGERT kwingert@messengernews.net

Additional housing will soon be coming to Fort Dodge thanks to two major construction projects under development.

Second Avenue Rowhomes expected to open in early 2024

Much of the 900 block of Second Avenue South, just southeast of the Fort Dodge Municipal Building, is currently an old, crumbling parking lot owned by the city.

On one corner stands the historic Bruce Funeral Home. On another corner is Chronicle, a 22-foot-tall sculpture created in honor of the city’s sesquicentennial. And on the entire southern half of the block is cracked concrete.

In the near future, however, that parking lot will become home to 32 new families.

The city of Fort Dodge entered into a development agreement with DEV Partners, of Des Moines, to develop the mostly unused city parking lot into new, modern housing.

“About a year and a half ago, I said we should get invested in the cities doing the amazing amount of infrastructure that’s going on,” said Danny Heggen, director of development and investments for DEV Partners.

The city of Fort Dodge, he said, had already been contracted with DEV’s sister company, Shift Collective, to develop the master plan for the Lincoln neighborhood just north

of downtown.

The rowhomes will bring a “high design” to the area while creating 32 new housing units, Heggen said. From the outside, the development will look just like 10 new rowhomes, but beyond the facade, the construction will allow for flexibility on the use of space, Heggen said. The units will be a mix of one-bedroom and twobedroom units.

“Each of them will have their own walk-up entry to sort of feel

like you’re walking into your own house,” Heggen said. Rent for the rowhome units will be in the $900-$1,200 range, he said. DEV Partners will also handle the management of the property once constructed. There is a high demand for new housing in the Fort Dodge area, Heggen said, and the flexibility of the project’s design allows for a higher density of multifamily homes in the development.

“We look at areas of urban

infill; we can start to focus on walkability and connectivity,” he said. “The Oak Hill neighborhood is so beautiful. … By doing some infill in this parking lot, it’s such a great example of being able to bring people living in the core of the city, that work in and around the community and that can also start to experience all the great things happening in downtown Fort Dodge.”

The city previously worked with Foutch Brothers LLC, of

Kansas City, to develop the property. In 2018, a plan for new townhomes on the site was announced, but it never got off the ground.

DEV Partners is working on similar rowhome developments in Des Moines, Indianola and Pella.

DEV Partners has other properties that it manages in Fort Dodge. Under the name Hom Investments 2 LLC, the company purchased the buildings at 700 Central Ave. and 1109 Central Ave. in 2021. Heggen said they are working on a “refresh” of the residential units on the upper floors of both buildings, as well as exterior improvements next year at 700 Central Ave.

Construction on the Second Avenue Rowhomes is anticipated to start this spring and the units ready for move-in by the start of 2024.

“I think that this is going to be a great model for what can be done in other areas of the state that are in need of housing as well,” Heggen said. “We really want this to be sort of a kickstart to what housing could look like.”

The entire development is expected to cost about $4.89 million, Heggen said.

In September, 2nd Avenue Rowhomes was one of 57 housing projects in 30 Iowa counties to receive the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Workforce Housing

See HOUSING, Page 9D

-Messenger file photo by Kelby Wingert

FORT DODGE MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE FLATTERY speaks at the groundbreaking for the Phase 2 of the District 29 development on Oct. 13, 2022. Also pictured are Josh Kruger, president of Eagle Construction and Talon Development; and Steve Boote, CEO of Eagle Construction and Talon Development.

Housing

Continued from Page 8D

Tax Credit. The 2nd Avenue project will receive $930,995 in tax credits on this project.

The Workforce Housing Tax Credit program provides tax benefits to developers to build new housing in Iowa communities, focusing especially on those projects using abandoned, empty or dilapidated properties.

Other area projects receiving the Workforce Housing Tax Incentive include Rockport Phase 4 in Emmetsburg and Wright Time Housing in Clarion.

District 29 expansion underway

Just over a year after the District 29 apartments and townhomes welcomed the first residents, developers of the housing area are preparing to expand the site.

In October, representatives from Talon Development, Eagle Construction and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance held a ceremonial groundbreaking to kick off Phase II of District 29.

District 29, named for its location near North 29th Street and Dodger Drive, first broke ground in the fall of

2020. In September 2021, the four-story apartment building with 93 units and the five five-plex townhome buildings were opened. In total, the development created 118 new housing units for Fort Dodge.

“That’s exciting for us here in Fort Dodge,” Councilman Dave Flattery, who is the mayor pro tem, said at the groundbreaking. “The need for housing is

critical in this community and we thank you for that investment.”

The development of Phase II will create an additional 118 new housing units, said Josh Kruger, president of Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Eagle Construction and Talon Development. The units will be a mix of studio, one-, two- and threebedrooms.

“I wanted to reiterate the success that we’ve had here in Fort Dodge,” Kruger said. “We opened the building in October [last year] and by the following April, we were already at 100 percent occupancy. I think we opened up the building at just over 60 percent occupancy.”

Phase II will be a mirror image of Phase I and essentially double the number of rental units in the complex. It will also include some new amenities — a fencedin pool with a patio and seating area, as well as a dog park.

“This was our plan when we came in and bought the land from the Litchfields,” said Steve Boote, CEO of Eagle Construction and Talon Development. “They were great to deal with. They’ve still got a whole bunch more land, so if Fort Dodge keeps growing, we’ll grow with you.”

Like the original apartment building, the new building will also feature a community room and 24-hour fitness center.

The new buildings are anticipated to be ready for move-in next fall.

-Submitted image

THIS IMAGE shows a rendering of the 2nd Avenue Rowhomes that will be built in the 900 block of Second Avenue South.

Fort Dodge Riverfront Tourism boost for Fort Dodge area

Riverfront redevelopment, nature center receive more than $4 million in grants

By KELBY WINGERT kwingert@messengernews.net

The planned redevelopment around the Des Moines River off of the west end of Central Avenue in Fort Dodge just received several boosts in funding over the last year.

In October, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the fifth round of the Destination Iowa quality of life and tourism grants. The program is a $100 million investment the state is making to bolster the quality of life in Iowa’s communities and attract visitors and new residents to the state.

Out of the $14.1 million granted in this round, the Central River District Park and River’s Edge Discovery Center project will receive $4 million.

The project is a joint venture of the Fort Dodge and Webster County governments. It all started a few years ago when the city of Fort Dodge was working on its Central River District plan around the same time the Webster County Conservation Board began working on its parks, facilities and recreation plan, said Webster County Conservation Director Matt Cosgrove.

“We wanted to bring the community back to the river and connect to the river,” said Chad Schaeffer, chief development officer for the city of Fort Dodge.

The goal of the riverfront and nature center project is to create a regional hub for land and water recreation and revitalize the district, Cosgrove said.

“The redevelopment of that riverfront will attract people here to work and give them a fun place to work, play and raise a family,” he said. “This is a reinvestment to make more livable communities.”

According to the city and county’s application for the grant, the central theme of the park and Discovery Center is “Immerse yourself in the living story of

Iowa’s water — the lifeblood that shapes our communities and our landscapes — while discovering our responsibility to protect it for the future.”

The city transferred about five acres of land to the county for the Discovery Center, Cosgrove said. The 13,000-square-foot building — which will house county conservation offices, exhibit spaces and classrooms — will be surrounded by water wetlands that will filter the storm water that runs off of Central Avenue and the parking lots in the area, before the water runs into the Des Moines River.

The Discovery Center will also include a natural play area and accessible trails and sidewalks. Also planned are in-stream recreational features, river access sites, playscapes, a scenic overlook with a fishing plaza, and fishing jetties.

The riverfront project is part of the county’s $19 million quality-of-life

package, which includes the regional trail connections for the recreational trail from Fort Dodge to Badger, a trail loop in Badger and a trail loop in Dayton.

The Central River District and River’s Edge Discovery Center will draw people to Fort Dodge, Cosgrove said.

“The city and county view this project as an investment in workforce attraction and improved quality of life, with a service area extending beyond Fort Dodge and Webster County, providing exceptional recreation opportunities to residents in neighboring rural cities, counties and states as well,” he wrote in the Destination Iowa grant application.

The city is already working on the First Street reconstruction and the land for the nature center has been graded and is ready for construction, Schaeffer said.

The Destination Iowa grant provides about 17 percent of the funding needed

for the entire riverfront project and trail connectors. The grant also required the applicants to do some private fundraising for the project, Cosgrove said. He said the county will be rolling out a fundraising campaign for the project soon.

Tax increment financing money received from the ag industrial park called Iowa’s Crossroads of Global Innovation and wind turbines in the southern half of the county will also be used to pay for Webster County’s projects. Tax increment financing occurs when increased property tax revenue from a given area is set aside to be reinvested.

Part of the city’s funding will come from general obligation bonds.

In September, Jensen Builders, of Fort Dodge, was awarded the bid for the River’s Edge Discovery Center with a $6,700,000 bid. Construction on the nature center is expected to be completed by July 2024.

The Boone Forks Region, an Iowa Great Place that includes Webster, Hamilton and Boone counties, was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. A portion of the grant — about $58,000 — will go toward an interpretive signage project on the water trails in the three counties, Cosgrove said.

The remaining grant funds will be used for the indoor exhibits at the River’s Edge Discovery Center currently under construction along the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge, Cosgrove said. The total cost for the exhibits is about $1.6 million, he said, so this grant will help fund a portion of that project.

The exhibits are all water-themed, Cosgrove said. The entire building will be focused on Iowa’s water resources, so the exhibits will cover the water cycle, wetlands, glaciers, and rivers and stream.

-Submitted photo

THIS RENDERING SHOWS what the nature center and surrounding water front recreational area could look like when completed.

OHV Park 'Crown jewel'

By KELBY WINGERT kwingert@messengernews.net

Off-highway vehicle riders will now have a space to develop their riding skills — a space that honors the man who was instrumental in the creation of the Gypsum City OHV Park south of Fort Dodge.

Larry Leiting was the owner of Flooring America in Fort Dodge and the chairman of the Fort Dodge Convention and Visitors Bureau in the early 2000s.

“He had a passion for this park and had the idea to meet with the gypsum companies, along with Dennis Plautz and a few other folks,” said Matt Cosgrove, Webster County conservation

director, during a dedication at the park in October. “Fortunately, those conversations went well, and today you see the fruits of that labor.”

Since those first meetings in 2000 and the park’s initial opening in 2006, thousands of riders have come to enjoy the tracks and 65 miles of trails on 800 acres of land.

“Little did they know, 20 years later, that we would have Iowa’s largest off-highway vehicle park because of those efforts,” Cosgrove said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the OHV park saw a 300 percent increase in use — with most park visitors coming

from out of the area, or even out of the state, Cosgrove said.

There are eight OHV parks in the state of Iowa, though three are currently closed — two due to the 2020 derecho and one because of flooding. According to Dan Kleen of the Iowa OffHighway Vehicle Association, the Gypsum City park is larger than the other seven parks combined.

Leiting died Oct. 22, 2022, at age 86.

“This was a really neat and special way to honor him,” said Pat Leiting, Larry’s son. “You know, a lot of these ideas were contrived over a round table with a beer and a napkin, so it’s pretty

OHV

park opens new skills development course

special when you look out at the park now.”

Pat Leiting noted that many others were vital in the joint effort of creating Gypsum City, including former state Sen. Daryl Beall and former state Rep. Helen Miller, who worked to get laws changed to allow the creation of the OHV park on the former gypsum quarries.

“It was the collaboration of everything that made it work and evolve into the crown jewel that is here now,” Pat Leiting said.

The skills development course features 15 obstacles — the culvert crawl, balance beam, step up, rock garden, log jump, log pyramid, teeter-totter bridge,

off-set logs, off-camber logs, hill climb, log ride, whoops, tire garden, tire climb and wagon wheel.

According to Tasha Nielsen, trail technician at Gypsum City, the course is open to all the vehicles that are allowed in the park. Each obstacle also has options for varying levels of difficulty.

Many of the obstacles are made with recycled or donated material, including recycled culverts and tractor tires. The teeter-totter bridge is actually the bridge that formerly passed over part of Badger Lake on one of the trails at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park.

Mikos & Matt Furniture Store marks 70 years in FD community

Providing furniture to families from generation to generation

By BRANDON BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net

Opening back in August 1953, Mikos & Matt Furniture is celebrating 70 years in business.

Located at 3336 Fifth Ave. S. in Fort Dodge, it was originally owned by Walter Mikos, Hugh Matt, and Bob Matt. Later on, the store was passed down to its current owner, Walter Mikos’ son John Mikos.

Mikos & Matt Furniture has provided a wide variety of furniture to the Fort Dodge community since its inception.

“I would say we've provided generations of families a place to shop for their furniture needs,” said Justin Mikos, the store manager and son of the current owner.

“I would say that that's a good way of summing it up,” he added. “And then also, we're always here for the newcomers, too. We love it when people that are new to town stop in when they need furniture. We love working with them and getting to know them and helping them get acclimated to Fort Dodge.”

Mikos continued, saying, “My grandpa was the one that started that business, so it’s fun to keep the business going. And also, you know, keep our customer base going generation to generation and also create new customers,

too. It’s a fun blend, that's for sure.”

Looking to the future, Mikos said the business plans to keep serving Fort Dodge and the surrounding communities.

“We always want to grow our business, and we always want to stay up to date with the trends in the furniture industry,” Mikos said. “My

dad always preaches that the only certainty is change in the future. So we want to be adaptable to changes in the future. And I feel like we've done well with that so far, and we want to keep doing well with that and in the future.

“But also … we want to keep our current customer base going. We want to keep

our strong relationships that we've already established and we want to create new ones too, whether it's people moving to town or anything like that,” he said. “That's definitely something that we look forward to.”

Mikos especially values the relationships he’s made within the Fort Dodge community.

“I've learned to branch out with other community leaders here in Fort Dodge, like through the Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. We're part of the Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and that’s been a great outlet into building relationships with other business owners. And then I’ve also personally joined the Young Professionals here in town. I’ve also created relationships with young people here in town, and with the young people that work at places like Cargill, or CJ Bio, or even other businesses around town. So it’s been great. I would say, for me, and even for our family and business as a whole, just being part of the community of Fort Dodge and also creating and building relationships with the people of Fort Dodge and other business owners.”

Of the business’ latest anniversary, Mikos said, “The store is excited to have reached the 70-year milestone and is eager to serve the community for many more years to come.”

-Messenger photos by Brandon Brueschke

MIKOS & MATT FURNITURE is celebrating 70 years in business this year. Here, Justin Mikos, store manager, stands amid the store's selection of recliners. He said Mikos & Matt Furniture is looking forward to serving the community for many more years.

Strengthening community Peoples Credit Union

By BRANDON BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net

For a little more than 60 years, Peoples Credit Union has been providing banking services to Iowa.

Starting in 1962 in Webster City, Peoples Credit Union, expanded and opened a branch in Fort Dodge in 2016. Located at 1717 Fifth. Ave. S., Peoples Credit Union has become an important member of the community.

“So far, it's been an absolutely wonderful process,” said CEO Jordan Hensley about Peoples Credit Union’s progress. “When you make business decisions or decisions to expand or to grow, you always hope that it'll be a benefit for your members and the communities that you serve. So we came to Fort Dodge when we merged with Frontier Credit Union, and we took over their membership, and served our membership that we had in Fort Dodge already. And it's been an absolutely wonderful thing. We've really enjoyed the partnership with not only the community of Fort Dodge, but also being able to grow the membership as well.”

Hensley said one of Peoples Credit Union’s goals is to have a positive impact on the community.

“We are there to augment the community and to strongly build the community,” he said. “Again, the stronger we can make the community, the better our members’ lives are, the better for Fort Dodge as a whole. And that's our commitment to all the communities we serve. We want to be a partner, we want to strongly build a relationship within our community. And there's a lot of places that will say, they hang their hat on service.

“Well, to me, in my mind, to a certain extent, a service is table stakes, you have to have great service just to be in the game, or just to be a part of what you want to do. But to me, and we're very lucky with the crew and the team we have in Fort Dodge, but you know, caring

about when people come in. They know our frontline team, they know who they're talking to, our crew and our team are a part of the community, too. So they have a vested interest in making this better for everyone.”

Moving forward, Hensley said, “Once you are established, and you create relationships that benefit all the parties involved in your membership, you're building trust within the community. It opens up doors and relationships that wouldn't have always been there or wouldn't always be available. And, to me, that's where the growth component is, where now we get to do the fun stuff instead of solely focusing on building our presence and our business in Fort Dodge. Now we can have fun and work with the communities and in the service projects. But you know, just get into the community more and just know that we have that established step. Now we can give back a little bit more.”

He continued by saying, “So now it's kind of shifted to … the next step into the future of how can we do more in the community. How can we do more for our membership? How can we strengthen the city of Fort Dodge, and it's been a fun progression just because we're able to work with D/SAOC and Meals on Wheels and, and there's tons more that we've been able to partner with, but at the same time, it’s been kind of that next step for us.

“I’m a true believer — and credit unions have a saying of ‘people helping people’ — and for Peoples Credit Union, the stronger we can make our communities and the more commitment we can make to our community, the stronger our membership is, and the stronger it just strengthens every point of the circle.”

While reflecting on the milestones the Credit Union has reached, one major sentiment resonated with Hensley the most — gratitude.

“It's just been a truly great partnership with not only the community, but all of our members there, and I would just like to, from all of our team, thank the community for allowing us to serve them.”

Jordan Hensley

Taking the lead in Kiwanis

By HANS MADSEN editor@messengernews.net

For many years, Linda Cline was the familiar face of 4-H in Webster County.

If someone did a project, showed at the Webster County Fair or volunteered their help, most likely they got to know her.

While still active in 4-H, she retired as the youth coordinator in 2016.

She recently got a new hat to wear. She’s the lieutenant governor of Division II for the Nebraska/Iowa District of the Kiwanis Club.

“I took the position in October,” she said. “Our district hadn’t had a lieutenant governor for several years. When you get a phone call asking, I decided I should step up. The governor asked me.”

Her job is to serve mostly as a communication liaison.

“I keep in contact with the clubs in the district,” she said.

“I keep in communication with the governor and then share that information. I also encourage the clubs to work on their membership.”

Division II includes two clubs in Algona, two in Webster City, one in Humboldt and her own club in Fort Dodge. Division II is one of 25 in the Nebraska/Iowa District.

Building the membership back up is a big job. Participation in service groups was one of the things that took a big hit during the pandemic.

“COVID did a number on all the service clubs,” she said. “We’re all working on new membership.”

The loss of membership meant that some of the programs, such as K-Kids, had to be temporarily disbanded. They’re now working on getting them back up and running.

Besides the K-Kids program,

the Kiwanis Club also has a dictionary project to get dictionaries to third-graders in the smaller school districts, a Sand Day project where they delivered clean sand for such things as sand boxes, and the Action Club for adults with disabilities.

Cline has been involved in Kiwanis since the late 1990s.

“I remember going to a meeting back in 1997 to ask for funds for Clover Kids,” she said. “They asked me to join. 4-H and Kiwanis both work with

children. That was a good thing to do.”

Her term?

“Supposedly just a year,” she said. “Once you learn the job you stay on for a couple of years.”

She encourages anyone with some time to look into a service club. “All the service groups are looking for members to help in their community,” she said. “Pick what you’re passionate about, find that.”

Her local club, the Fort Dodge Tuesday Noon Kiwanis, meets every Tuesday at Pizza Ranch.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen

LINDA CLINE, the newly appointed lieutenant governor of District II in the Nebraska/Iowa Division of the Kiwanis Club, takes part in a meeting of the Noon Kiwanis Club at the Pizza Ranch in Fort Dodge recently. At left is Mike Biedenfeld, of Manson.

Cline steps up as lieutenant governor of Division II for the Nebraska/Iowa District of Kiwanis

Flooring America Design Center 50 years of service

By BRANDON BRUESCHKE editor@messengernews.net

Flooring America Design Center opened its doors back in 1973 under the name Carpet World Flooring America. Now located at 3026 Fifth Ave. S., the business is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

“We’ve seen a lot of changes in our industry over 50 years, but as a locally owned family business we’ve tried to evolve to meet our customer’s needs,” said Pat Leiting, the owner of the business. “When my Dad started the business in 1973, his primary focus was residential and commercial carpet. Today, we provide all types of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. In addition, we offer several cabinet brands, along with quartz/granite countertops as part of our product mix, complemented by a professional design staff to guide the design process, as needed.”

That focus on serving the community has become integral to Flooring America Design Center’s growth as well as a big lesson for Leiting.

“If you want to make a positive change in your community, you need to get involved,” he said. “And to run a successful business you need to stay customer-focused and provide a good service to your community. If you provide a good service to your community, the community will support you. We strive to do that every day.”

When looking toward the future of the business, Leiting said, “One of the largest challenges facing our business in the future is cultivating that next generation of professional installers. When you think about it, we provide everything that makes a home beautiful, and you need skilled craftsmen to achieve that. As an industry, there is a general lack of awareness of the opportunities that exist in the flooring

installation profession. We need to change that perception and start marketing the profession to that next generation of craftsman. It’s a very rewarding career if you like working with your hands. Every job we install is custom and has its own unique set of challenges. There’s a tremendous amount of job satisfaction that’s achieved with each job we deliver. We are currently working with flooring industry leaders to assist us in developing a high-level training curriculum that we can implement locally.”

Reflecting on the Fort Dodge community and their role in it, Leiting said, “Even though we live in a small community, we try to offer the best product selection in the industry. As a Flooring America dealer, we are a member of the nation’s largest co-op, with over 500 stores nationally. This relationship provides us with the best in product offering, purchasing power, merchandising, marketing, and training that’s offered in the industry.

“Our staff, both installers and sales associates, are highly skilled in their professions to assist our customers with the best in products and services. When a customer comes into our showroom, they have a vision or dream of what they want their home to look like. It’s our job to make that dream a reality.”

With 50 years of business under its belt, Flooring America Design Center is dedicated to many more years of service to the community.

Pat Leiting

-Messenger photo by Brandon Brueschke FLOORING AMERICA DESIGN CENTER is celebrating 50 years in the flooring business in Fort Dodge this year.

Daniel Pharmacy

Caring is key at Daniel Pharmacy

By BILL SHEA bshea@messengernews.net

In an era in which corporate chains have steadily squeezed out independent drug stores, it takes something special to keep a family-owned pharmacy going for 60 years.

For Daniel Pharmacy in downtown Fort Dodge, caring is that special ingredient, according to owner John Daniel.

“You can’t do it without a great team, and the team’s got to care,” he said.

“We care,” he added.

Since the pharmacy opened in 1963, it has served multiple generations of area families. Daniel recalls filling prescriptions for children decades ago who are now coming into the pharmacy with their own children.

“We’ve gone through several generations,” he said.

The pharmacy has sat at the corner of Central Avenue and 12th Street since the beginning, although it has been expanded a couple of times.

Daniel said he was getting ready to graduate from pharmacy school at the University of Iowa, when his father, also named John Daniel, began looking for a place where he could open a corner drug store. The corner of Central Avenue and 12th Street was the only one he could find.

Daniel Pharmacy opened May 15, 1963. The neon signs on the building, which have become a kind of downtown landmark, went up a little later.

Initially, the pharmacy was staffed by Daniel and his parents, John and Renee. He was the only pharmacist.

The Daniel family retains a major role in their business. Daniel’s wife, Margo, works behind the customer service counter. Son John is a pharmacist and daughter Mary Kay handles a variety of chores in addition to running her own business next door, Mary Kay’s Gifts and Home Decor.

The process of providing medicine to people has obviously evolved in the 60 years since the pharmacy

opened.

Daniel and his fellow pharmacists no longer have to decipher what a doctor scribbled on a prescription pad, because 99 percent of prescriptions are transmitted to the pharmacy electronically.

For many prescriptions, a machine called a Script Pro actually counts pills and pours them into bottles. The pharmacists then check the machine’s work.

Medical science has evolved significantly since 1963, greatly multiplying the amount of medicines available. But Daniel said there are “still some old standby drugs that we still use.”

He said there are a lot of new medicines to treat acid reflux, and the products available to treat diabetes have changed a lot in the last five to six years.

The scope of what pharmacists do and what

pharmacies offer to customers has also evolved.

The pharmacists at Daniel Pharmacy provide flu and COVID vaccinations. They also do tests for strep, flu, and COVID, along with doing a blood test for diabetics to check a blood sugar level known as A1c.

The pharmacy also offers a wide array of home health care equipment, including plush lift chairs that help someone get up from the seated position.

Despite the array of technology and services, basic caring for the customer remains at the core of the pharmacy’s work.

“The most rewarding part of working at Daniel Pharmacy is making a positive impact on our patients’ lives, because we really do care about all of our patients,” said Pharmacist Lisa Flaherty. “Whatever we can do to help them is most important to us.”

-Messenger file photo by Kelby Wingert

JOHN AND MARGO DANIEL were named grand marshals of the 2022 Frontier Days Parade in March 2022 at Daniel Pharmacy. The pharmacy opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 12th Street on May 15, 1963.

“You can’t do it without a great team, and the team’s got to care. We care.”

— John Daniel Owner, Daniel Pharmacy