A ribbon cutting ceremony was held today (Tuesday) at Sunnyside Park in Atlantic, for a new, activities area.

Atlantic Ambassadors and others at the Sunnyside Park Activities Area ribbon cutting. (Ric Hanson/photo)

The site, located just south of the Parks and Rec Building off Sunnyside lane, features a recently installed horseshoe pit area, along with green space for several activities, including Bocceball, which Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said is a “Great, fun game.” He said it’s also one of the fastest 55 and older resort-type games, that’s found at many retirement communities in the southern tier of states.

There’s also a badminton court, Croquet and other activities. There are also benches and tables available for people who want to play checkers or other board games. The equipment is available free of charge, but you should call ahead to make sure it’s available on the day or days you intend to use them.

Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring thanked the Dean Orstad Family and the Trevor Frederickson Foundation for their contribution to and support of the activities area, through the installation of the horseshoe pit area. That section of the activities area has four, regulation-size horseshoe pits.

Roger Herring talks about Dean Orstad with his extended family members looking on.

Plaques recognizing Dean Orstad will be mounted in the horseshoe pit area recognizing his contribution and enthusiasm for outdoor activities at Sunnyside Park. The final site plans for the activities area was approved by the Parks and Rec Board in the early Spring of 2014. Roger Herring said he would love to drive by and see Senior Citizens using the Activities area of park a couple of days a week at least, and people of all ages using it in for family get togethers.

Prior to dedicating that area of the park, Herring and Assistant Parks Director Seth Staashelm gathered with Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors at the new Camblin Shelter at Sunnyside Park, to talk about the latest park improvements.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines business group says it wants to find a solution to a water quality dispute that has prompted the city’s water utility to sue three counties. Des Moines Water Works claims that drainage districts in those counties act as conduits in moving nitrates from farm fields into a river, which serves as one of two sources of drinking water for city residents.

As a result, the utility says it spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to reduce nitrates to levels the federal government deems safe. The lawsuit is set to go before a federal judge next summer. The Des Moines Register reports that the Greater Des Moines Partnership wants to bring together business, farming, water, environmental and legislative leaders to find long-term solutions to Iowa’s water-quality issues.

Iowans can learn how to “Preserve the Taste of Summer” during online lessons and hands-on workshops from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The online lessons already are available and workshops are planned for July and August, 2015, including a jam and jelly workshop August 8th from 9 am to 12 noon, at the Cass County Fairgrounds.

Preserve the Taste of Summer is a comprehensive food preservation education program including online lessons, hands-one workshops and printable resources and recipes. The two-part educational series includes online classwork, covering topics such as food safety, canning basics, canning acid foods, pressure canning low-acid foods, preparation and canning of pickled and fermented foods, making and preserving fruit spreads, freezing foods, storage of frozen and refrigerated foods, and drying foods. The lessons can also be taken in a group session at the Extension Office by prior arrangement.

Once the “classroom” sessions are completed, participants can choose from four different hands-on workshops, each lasting approximately three hours, where they will practice specific preservation skills in a kitchen and take home a freshly preserved product. The four workshop choices include Hot water bath canning (salsa making) and freezing, Jams and dehydrating, Pickle making and Pressure canning.

The home food preserver registration fee is $35 and covers all eight online lessons and one hands-on workshop. The professional level of “Preserve the Taste of Summer” qualifies as continuing education for Iowa teachers and registered dietitians. The registration fee is $100 and covers all eight online lessons and two hands-on workshops.

Cass County Extension will be hosting a Jams and Dehydrating workshop in the Cass County Fair Foodstand on Saturday, August 8th from 9 AM to Noon. Other upcoming classes include a July 30yh Pressure Canning workshop in Adair County, an August 13 Pickling workshop in Carson, and an August 20th Salsa workshop in Adair County. All of these workshops require completion of relevant classroom sessions prior to attending the workshop.

For more information on cost and getting enrolled in the classes, visit the Preserve the Taste of Summer website at www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/preserve-taste-summer. You can also call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 to learn more about the program, to inquire about the Group Viewing option for the classwork, or to pick up food preservation publications.

Food Preservation publications, covering 8 different types of home food preservation, with detailed recipes, can also be downloaded at no cost from the ISU Extension Online Store (https://store.extension.iastate.edu/).