Sunset Park outdoor gym project moving forward

Upcoming events and projects were discussed at the Newton Wellness Coalition meeting Wednesday. The outdoor gym the group has been planning received some much needed funding from the city.

“We have about $85,000 for improvements at Sunset Park, so the gym can be played into that,” member Nathan Unsworth said.

Through bonding money set aside for parks this year, the groups will be able to begin to plan what exactly they would like in the park and where it could possibly go. Sunset Park is second on the priority list for the Parks Department after work is completed at Aurora Park, Unsworth said. He hopes to get planning completed for Aurora then move to Sunset where the coalition will play a big part in the planning of the outdoor gym equipment.

The group previously received a $1,500 grant from Theisen’s that really spurred the project. The equipment is intended to be used by an adult crowd but is still accessible for kids. It is hoped that residents at Park Centre and Newton Village can use the gym along with those receiving physical therapy at Skiff Medical Center. Additional planning is needed in the park for location of the gym and potential trails that could be added for easier access.

The coalition is planning once again to participate in the Fourth of July parade in Newton. Like last year, they plan to hand out bananas donated by Hy-Vee to the crowd along with small packages of almonds to bring a healthier option.

“Last year when we gave the bananas out, I have the almonds to the adults and they like that,” Member Jenny Thompson said.

A popular item in the parade, the group discussed ways to make sure they did not run out of bananas and how to keep moving along at a steady pace. The group agreed using one case per block and sticking to that amount would help the process.

The Newton Talks events the group is doing this summer were discussed including ways to improve the process. Widely agreed to be very interesting and educational, the group found it was hard to get sizable numbers to the events.

For the second talk, those speaking also presented at a senior event held at the YMCA. While speaking the crowds grew with good number of people sitting down to listen to the stories of wellness. The coalition thought it might be good to continue that idea and attend already scheduled, well attended events to get people’s stories out to a wider audience.

Two talks remain in the series one scheduled for Thursday evening and the final talk is planned for July 18.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com