Summer events, projects planned for Newton’s parks

Several projects currently underway or planned for the parks department were reviewed with the Newton Park Board during its meeting on Wednesday. An update on the donations received for fireworks during the Fourth of July celebration and what the city still needs was also discussed along with planning for RAGBRAI.

To date, the city has spent $10,223 on the fireworks celebration for the 2018 Fourth of July event. Those funds have gone toward items including bounce house rentals and signage costs along with the major expense of the fireworks display at $7,500. Community services manager Brian Laube said the city is still in need of about $3,000 to complete fundraising.

“We do have one sponsorship still available for the Kids Zone for $1,500,” recreation administrative assistant Lisa Bernal said.

Any citizen or business interested in giving to the fireworks fund can contact Bernal at 641-791-0827.

Another big summer event for the city this year is the overnight RAGBRAI stop coming in July. Park operations superintendent Nick Cummins has been tasked with organizing the camping aspect of the event and gave an update to the board on what has currently been decided.

“Maytag Park will once again serve as the main campground for the event,” Cummins said. “An information center will be in the pavilion.”

Cummins said the pool will remain open during the event, possibly with longer hours to accommodate the riders. The normal user fee will apply to anybody entering the pool, whether to swim or use the showers.

Additional parks used for campsites for specific groups will be Agnus Patterson, Aurora, Woodland, Industrial, Dennison, Collision, Hillcrest, Sunset and the adult softball complex. The three concessions stands at Agnus Patterson Park will be available to non-profit groups to use along with the concession stand at the adult softball complex.

Since planning is ongoing, Cummins said he would keep the board updated on when and how events will take place throughout the parks system.

Along with the events taking place during the summer, three major projects are currently underway or planned for the department. Those projects include Agnes Patterson Park Americans with Disabilities Act sidewalk improvements, the purchase of new golf carts for Westwood Golf Course and summer plans for Maytag Pool, including the waterslide rehabilitation.

Several ADA improvements have already been completed at Agnes Patterson and the city will continue the efforts by adding handicap parking stalls near the new pit toilet along with sidewalks leading from the parking area to the upper baseball and lower softball fields. The improvements are projected to cost $27,005 and will come from the 2017 bond funds.

At Maytag Pool, Laube said changes are being made to how employees are utilized with separate staffs planned for the concession stand area and those who will lifeguard. He said they also plan to streamline the concession stand with more user-friendly items including packaged ice cream sandwiches instead of soft serve and bottled soft drinks will be replacing the fountain machine.

“It will help keep things cleaner and moving faster,” Laube said.

An exciting project for Maytag Pool is the rehabilitation of the waterslides. While it is not planned until after the 2018 pool season, the rehabilitation will give new life to the aging slides.

The rehabilitation will consist of repairing the leaking and offset waterslide joints and refinishing the fiberglass tubes with a possible color change all while continuing to utilize the existing support towers. Laube said the rehabilitation will add an estimated 15 to 20 year of life to the waterslides.

Westwood Golf Course is also upgrading its golf cart stock with 12 new 2018 Yamaha carts. City council approved the $50,220 purchase which will replace 12 leased carts used through the 2017 season.

While the weather has not been very conducive to hitting the course, city staff was becoming concerned when the golf carts did not arrive in time for the start of the season. Laube said due to the popularity of the model selected, there was a shortage of the carts. Harris Golf Cars of Dubuque, the company selected for the purchase, instead sent loaner carts to keep the course up and running at full capacity until the newly purchased carts are available.

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