(Atlantic, Iowa) – October is Disability Employment Awareness month. Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, Wednesday night, signed a proclamation to that effect during the City Council’s meeting. The proclamation she read (in-part) said…

“The State of Iowa,” she said “believes that long-term investment in rehabilitative workforce programs to help Iowans with disabilities find successful pathways, must remain a priority for years to come.”

Rehna Lensch and Ellen Sokolowski, with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Service in Atlantic, were present for the reading of the proclamation. The Vocational Rehabilitation Service office is located in the strip mall just east of the Iowa Western Community College Campus in Atlantic.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a resolution making appointments to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. The commission replaces the former Parks and Recreation Board. It consists of three people living within Atlantic City limits, two Cass County residents, and one non-voting high school student. The appointments, effective January 1^st, include Kevin Ferguson (2-year term), Dolly Bergmann (2-year term), Shirley Jensen (1-year term), Ali Pieken (1-year term), and Mary Strong (1-year term).

Councilman Pat McCurdy…

Mayor Garrett added….

The Council also approved an order to allow the Atlantic Elks Lodge to install a flagpole in the right-of-way abutting 411 Walnut Street. And, they approved an order to shift future fireworks budgets from the Fourth of July to Labor Day, due to the success of the larger, “Bash at the Ballfields event,” that occurred over Labor Day weekend. The 2023 4^th of July Celebration was postponed until Labor Day, due to the weather, but it turns out that the decision to move the celebration brought out many more people, sponsors and vendors, than was possible on the original date.