Members of the Atlantic Parks and Rec Board, Monday, heard a request from Deb Smith, with regard to a property she owns at 6th and Oak Streets, that she would like to have turned into a park, if feasible.

Deb Smith presents her proposal to the Parks & Rec Board. (Director Seth Staashelm is on the left)

The land was the former site of the old Hockenberry/Mullen Funeral Home, which was destroyed in an arson fire in May, 2012. Smith wants to sell the slightly more than one-half acre of land to the City for at or a little than less than the amount it costs in taxes, or about $9,968. It’s valued at around $17,900.

The land proposed is in the upper left part of this image. (Click to enlarge)

Smith’s father was the Rev. Chuck Smith, who served as Mayor of Atlantic many years ago, and who died last March. Deb Smith said her father had hoped to turn the land into a park. Deb Smith, who now lives in Panama, said before her dad died she had contacted the Iowa West Foundation and inquired about grant funding for a park. She also spoke recently with Parks and Rec Director Seth Staashelm.

The land is currently zoned commercial. Staashelm said he would need to contact the City Attorney and then get a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission before the Parks and Rec Board makes its recommendation and presents her offer to the City Council. Staashelm said also, the Parks and Rec Departments funds are currently spoken for about the next two or three years, as part of its five-year plan, but there is an opportunity to apply for grants. Smith said she would be happy to help write any grant applications.

Park and Rec Board Member Charlene Beane suggested the area would be a great spot for another skate board park, but Board member Jolene Smith suggested a splash pad might be an idea, since there is already a water hookup on the property. If the City approves the purchase of the land, Staashelm said the property would need a retaining wall to help with drainage and to solve erosion problems, which the Parks and Rec Department could install, and a new sidewalk, which the Street Department might be able to install.

Staashelm said he would begin to seeking legal advice and P&Z approval, as the next steps in the process.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers have made further progress harvesting corn and soybeans in Iowa and Nebraska but rain in Iowa and heavy dew in Nebraska has slowed the process. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Iowa farmers reported waiting for crops to dry in the field before harvesting. Nebraska also saw last week freezing temperatures across a wide area.

About a third of the Iowa corn crop is harvested, about a week behind the five-year average and 62 percent of soybeans are out of the field. The five-year average at this point in the year is 74 percent. In Nebraska 34 percent of corn is harvested, behind the average of 40 percent and 62 percent of soybeans are completed behind the average of 74 percent.

Food pantries in the state have been able to supply those in need with some vegetables this season there were grown by expert gardeners. Iowa State University’s Susan DeBlieck, says the Extension Department’s Master Gardener program partnered with the research farms to create donation gardens. “We partnered with our SNAP education staff to make funding available. Some of the funding available supported these donation gardens that were planted at seven of the Iowa State University research farms,” DeBlieck explains.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and DeBlieck says the Extension Education and Outreach Program provides education for low income families on how to prepare produce. The gardens were tended throughout the summer by Master Gardener volunteers who harvested seven-thousand pounds of vegetables. “All of those pounds of produce have been donated to nearby food pantries and food banks,” according to DeBlieck “And these demonstration farms are located all across the state and are really helping to build food security in particularly in rural areas.”

The gardens are located in Rock Rapids, Lewis, Kanawha, Ames, Nashua, Fruitland and Crawfordsville. The Iowa State Extension program has a long history of using demonstration gardens to help educate, and DeBlieck says this program fits in well with that tradition. “I believe that those started in the 1970’s and since that time we’ve been demonstrating different types of crops and different types of growing methods,” DeBlieck explains. “And so we chose crops that are wanted by food pantries. They are foods that store well, are easy to grow in Iowa, and look good on a food pantry shelf.” She says many of the vegetable you probably grew in your own garden.

They are green beans, sweet potatoes, cabbage, green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, zucchini, beets, cantaloupe, garlic and carrots. The food banks and pantries are expected to benefit from the educational demonstrations at the gardens. She says people who came out to the research farms got to learn about the things they could grow to donate to the local food pantry. You can find out more information about the demonstration programs and how you can become a Master Gardener online at: www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

(Radio Iowa)