Park board receives pool, clubhouse, fireworks donation updates

At its Wednesday night meeting, the Newton Park Board was given updates and input from city staff about parks and recreation areas, including city fireworks display donations, a revised Westwood Golf Course Clubhouse plan and Maytag Pool opening dates.

Fireworks donation goals

Community services manager Brian Laube said the city is about $3,300 short of its $10,000 fireworks donations goal. Donation cards are still available at Hy-Vee for customers to donate to the city’s July 4 celebration. Melanie Humphrey, chair of the Newton Park Board, said she had asked Hy-Vee to send checks near the end of May and the end of June.

Park board members also discussed ideas of where to put new donation boxes in businesses around town and ways in which staff could advertise or promote efforts to collect fireworks display donations. One month earlier, Laube said the city was about $4,900 short of its fireworks goal.

Clubhouse redesign

Repairing or replacing the Westwood Golf Course Clubhouse has been a top priority of the Newton Park Board for several years. Laube informed the board the Newton City Council approved a professional services agreement with Ethos Design Group to create a scaled-down design of the clubhouse.

City staff have already met with Ethos Design Group and gave them a few guidelines to work with. The next step, Laube said, is to set up another meeting with the group to review the design. He would also like to collect public comments about changes or additions they would like to see in the new clubhouse.

Pool opening date

Maytag Pool is expected to officially open its doors June 1. In-service training for lifeguards and staff will begin a few weeks earlier. Laube said the pool will also open 30 minutes after school lets out June 3 and June 4. He is anticipating June 5 will the “first, full weekday of the season.”

Humphrey asked Laube if he had heard any negative feedback from the city increasing its daily admission fee from $4.50 to $5. Laube said he heard “next to none as far as backlash received.” In the past, he said staff struggled to obtain lifeguards. This year’s response has been more positive.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com