Your City of Waukee

Future Triumph Park to Feature Amenities of ‘EPIC’ Proportions On Thursday, Jan. 23, the IMAX auditorium at The Palms Theatres & IMAX was filled to capacity with citizens eager to hear the Waukee Betterment Foundation and the City of Waukee announce new details about the future 66-acre community park and sports complex being built in western Waukee, including its name—Triumph Park. Triumph Park will feature a sports complex with 12 softball/baseball fields, practice areas, concessions, accessible restrooms and 800+ parking spaces. The complex will serve local teams as well as large tournaments.

The journey toward planning Triumph Park was not possible in years past due to the high cost of infrastructure and other setbacks. But, when the Waukee Community School District was selecting a site for its future second high school, WCSD and City of Waukee officials decided to jointly purchase 160 acres of land located north of Hickman Road and east of N. 10th Street. Triumph Park will be located adjacent to Northwest High School. The City will build an 11-acre pond which will also serve as a major stormwater management feature. Large greenspaces will be used for events, and three miles of trails will connect to area neighborhoods and regional trail systems. In addition, the Waukee Betterment Foundation is raising $3 million to help fund accessible features at Triumph Park. “With such a broad range of activities and opportunities provided at the future park, it was challenging to pin down a name,” said Waukee Mayor Courtney Clarke. “When we considered that people of all abilities can win a baseball game, safely fish off the pier, enjoy a playdate with friends, reach fitness goals and attend outdoor events without barriers, the term ‘Triumph’ kept surfacing. I think the name ‘Triumph Park’ really speaks to the inclusion and optimism of what this regional destination will be.” The Waukee Betterment Foundation and Minnesotabased playground design firm Landscape Structures Inc. revealed the look of the Waukee EPIC Inclusive Playground. The firm builds only one EPIC Playground every year, and Waukee’s will be the most inclusive to date of its size. EPIC playgrounds are “designed for all families, all kids, all abilities to be able to play together, to share together and, most importantly, to grow together,” said Scott Roschi, Landscape Structures Creative Director. The 15,000-square-foot playground will feature mobility device access at various levels, rubberized surfacing for accessibility and safety, a seating wall, sensory features, STEM panels, shade structures and accessible parking and restrooms.

The Waukee EPIC Inclusive Playground will be situated near the Greater Iowa Credit Union Miracle League®

Field and an accessible fishing pier. “The responses we have received from donors—whether they be other foundations offering grants, central Iowa businesses, service groups or individuals—has been tremendous,” said Todd McDonald, Waukee Betterment Foundation Board President. “We often hear stories of how this park will positively impact the lives of their employees and/or their family members. It’s going to be something special for Dallas County and the central Iowa area as a whole.” Mayor Clarke added a personal anecdote as she addressed the crowd on Jan. 23 related to how amenities such as these have impacted her family. “While the Miracle League® Field, fishing pier and park are certainly critical for the more than 1,200 students throughout Dallas County living with disabilities, the adults in our region will benefit as well,” said Clarke.

“We often hear stories of how this park will positively impact the lives of their employees and/or their family members. It’s going to be something special for Dallas County and the central Iowa area as a whole.”

TODD MCDONALD

“My mother-in-law is blind and my father-in-law was quadriplegic. It has always been important in our family to attend attractions where we can enjoy them all together. For a parent or grandparent with a mobility or sensory impairment to be able to take their kids or grandkids fishing or to the park is definitely epic.” The foundation also acknowledged Apple, Inc. for its role in making the all-inclusive amenities possible with a significant donation. The company, which previously announced that it’s building a large data center in western Waukee, is contributing $1 million to the Waukee Betterment Foundation for this project. That $1 million boost brings the foundation’s current fundraising total (as of Jan. 23, 2020) to $1.6 million, with $1.4 million left to raise. The $3 million the Waukee Betterment Foundation is raising covers the inclusive amenities at Triumph Park. The City’s estimated budget for the rest of the project is around $17 million over a two-year build-out. Dallas County Local Option Sales Tax revenues will cover about two-thirds of the park’s cost. A Public Improvement Fund with Apple is expected to cover the remaining third. It is the City’s intention that Triumph Park will not be paid for with debt or property taxes. Construction at Triumph Park is expected to begin in the fall of 2020 with a planned opening date in the spring of 2022.

There’s no doubt about it—we live in a digital age with machines all around us that use software or programming. Our cars are no exception. They can have dozens of computers handling many different systems and communicating with each other on networks to send and receive commands, sensor data, status reports and fault codes.

All of this functionality requires software—the instructions for performing the assigned functions. And just like how some parts need a design improvement, software also requires periodic improvements. How often do you see an update performed on your phone for the phone itself or for the many different apps we install? Every day? Certainly, every week. When it comes to our cars and pickups, let me assure you, these updates are necessary and beneficial to us. We’ve seen updates available to improve fuel economy, reduce oil consumption, reduce emissions, improve safety, and/or improve driver comfort. We’ve even seen a fault code on an oxygen sensor where a software update is the repair, not replacing the sensor. The simple code scan at home or at the auto parts store just tells you the oxygen sensor is bad and guess what—they can sell you an oxygen sensor, even if it won’t fix the fault. Another time when software programming is commonly needed is when we replace a failed component. Some newer components (such as a GM window switch module) are modules that require programming as part of the replacement. It looks and feels like a switch assembly, but it’s also a computer module and when it’s replaced, the new unit needs to be programmed. As a full-service shop, Willard Garage is your trusted alternative to dealer service, including module programming and updates. We’re investing in the latest technology every month and we attend regular training on the latest technology and service tools for you, our customer. As a small-town, family-owned service shop, we’re proud to offer these repair options for the latest technology. This is one of the reasons we stand for “Old-Fashioned Service for Today’s Cars” at Willard Garage!