PANTHERS ROLL
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The Creston/O-M football team rolled to a 48-0 win over Clarinda Friday in its home opener. For more on the Panther football team, see SPORTS, page 1S. >>
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creston
News Advertiser
SHAW MEDIA GROUP SERVING SW IOWA SINCE 1879 BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AT WWW.CRESTONNEWS.COM
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
Murray Recreation Complex gains public support
CNA photo by SCOTT VICKER
Green night: A cluster of green fireworks exploding in the
sky Sunday night illumiates Fogle Lake in Diagonal and silhouettes a pair of fishermen on a boat during the Diagonal Lions Club’s annual Labor Day celebration. Pictured is a Recreation Complex spec drawing provided by Bolton & Menk, Inc. of Des Moines.
By HILARY FERRAND specs for the project. The and trail bridge at a cost of OST news editor hferrand@osceolaiowa.com
MURRAY – Big changes are coming to Murray, and city leaders want a new recreation complex to be among them, but confusion over financing robbed the project of support. It seems those issues have been ironed out. An informational meeting held on Thursday saw three times the number of attendees of those in the past, and residents left the meeting with pledge sheets in hand and a plan for working together to raise funds.
Recreation Complex design For the past two years, Josh Shields, a Professional Landscape Architect with Bolton & Menk, Inc. of Des Moines — and a 1997 Murray graduate — has worked with the Murray Development Corporation and Rec Committee on configuring
11-acre parcel of land south of Casey’s General Store was previously earmarked for housing development, but drainage issues make it unsuitable for building. Shields donated his time to help the city determine the best use of the land available. The development plan now includes three phases, beginning with site preparation during Phase 1. Grading, erosion control, sub draining, utility installation and seeding is estimated — using cost estimates from the Des Moines area — at $390,700. Phase 1B includes infield and outfield surfacing for three ball fields, dugouts, bleachers, scoreboards, fencing, a sidewalk and a parking lot with lighting. Cost is estimated at an additional $409,200. Phase 2 of the plan calls for the addition of ball field lighting, asphalt walking trail, concession building, accompanying sidewalk
$350,900. Phase 3 would introduce much-anticipated youth soccer fields, half-basketball court, ball field “tot lot,” playground, trees, irrigation and an extended sidewalk for $244,050. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1,394,220. Organizers have a plan to fund the project largely with grant money and coached citizens on how they could help.
Funding concerns Residents of Murray have been waiting decades for serious upgrades to public infrastructure, which are just now getting underway. When news of the recreation complex first came out, people were concerned the city was moving money away from essential projects to pay for a recreation site. “The intention of the project is not to take away from the sewers or the
CNA photo by SCOTT VICKER
Rainbow Rally: Barb Coenen, left, and Mary Bishop lead a group of marchers down
North Maple Street in Creston Monday afternoon during the Rainbow Rally: Creston is No Place for Hate march. About 40 people gathered to march through Creston’s streets in a sign of solidarity against hate.
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Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams Street | Box 126 Creston, IA 50801-0126
Copyright 2017
Volume 134 No. 67
2016
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Contributed photo
“WE DON’T want to use people’s tax dollars. We’re trying to leverage grants as much as we can.”
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DAVID KLEIN Murray
streets,” said David Klein Thursday night at a meeting held at the Murray Community Center. “We don’t want to use people’s tax dollars. We’re trying to leverage grants as much as we can.” Previously, the project received approval of a $200,000 grant from the Dekko Foundation, but because the committee couldn’t get construction estimates, the funds were lost. That’s when the group raised the initial money MURRAY | 2A
Iowa officials concerned about growing inmate population DES MOINES (AP) — Officials at a central Iowa jail want to open three empty housing units amid an increase in inmates, but county supervisors hope for other efforts to reduce the jail population. The Des Moines Register reports that Polk County Jail has seen a daily average of more than 1,000 inmates this year. Jail director Frank Marasco asked the county Board of Supervisors
in May to open the three housing units and add an additional 15 detention officers to staff them. County supervisors hope to use deterrence efforts to prevent low-level offenders from ending up behind bars instead of granting the $1.1 million request. Marasco says the safety of those in the jail is at risk until something is done to address the high number of inmates.
CNA photo by ALEX FELKER
Racing: Heston Harris, 3, of Creston, participates in his first ever bike race as part of the Labor
Day celebration Monday in Diagonal. Choosing a nontraditional tack, Harris drags his bike along the dirt track with his feet rather than using the pedals. After the race, Harris’ mother overheard young Heston say that he was in fact “not tired,” and did in fact “want to go again.”
With Beth Moore | Worship with Travis Cottrell
Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 9 am - 4:30 pm | Doors open at 8:00 am
$20 per person
Crest Baptist Church
(includes lunch and materials)
Located at 1211 N. Poplar Street, Creston, Iowa | 641-782-2018
Register before September 13 at www.crestbaptistchurch.com/moore