NDN-MAG-10-30-2015

1Cover

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PA I D Permit No. 371 Newton, IA 50208 ****************ECRWSS**** Local Postal Customer

Meet acoustic rock artist

Richard Arndt Changes to be made at

Authentic Greek, Italian dishes at

YANNi’s Grill

LAKE Mariposa A rainbow of fabric at

Crazy red head quilting

The Springer House Take a look inside the Baxter home

Fall

2015

2

One of the Midwest’s largest independent clinics ...

because you deserve a choice in health care Paul Ruggle, M.D. family practice

Steve Hill, M.D. family practice with OB

Pat Edwards, M.D. family practice with OB

Orville Bunker, M.D. family practice

T.Y. Chan, D.O. internal medicine

Min Pak, M.D. family practice

Mureema Solberg, M.D. family practice

Leighton Frost, M.D. family practice with OB

Zack Alexander, M.D., CCD family practice

Duane Jolivette, M.D. family practice

Andrew Cope, D.O. family practice with OB

Stephanie Bantell, M.D. family practice with OB

Esgar Guarin, M.D., FAAFP family practice with OB

Janice Gates, DPM podiatry

• family medicine • pediatrics • gynecology (including IUD placement) • obstetrics (including C-sections) and midwife services • women's health • physicals • well-child exams

• • • • • • • • •

Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C Beth Preston, ARNP, FNP-C family practice family practice

colonoscopies vasectomies bone density testing skin surgeries/biopsies cardiac stress tests fracture casting urgent care/walk-in appointments inpatient care screenings

Lacy Lundgren, CNM, MSN women’s health with OB

• X-rays • lab testing • medical aesthetics (Botox, dermal fillers) • health education • podiatry (painful toenails, athlete’s foot, corns, calluses, infected nails, warts, hammer toes, bunions, diabetic foot care, heel pain)

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www.newtonclinic.com • www.facebook.com/newtonclinic

Index

15 9

17

5

Gift

7

Issue

8

Treasure

Georgia Pierson and Joni Frerichs open Gorgeous Georgia’s in Monroe.

Jasper County Conservation to restore Wolfe Lake and Mariposa Recreation Area.

Crazy Redhead Quilting, owned by Laura Jochems, of Newton, is busier than ever.

11

PEOPLE

12

HOME

15

FOOD

17

HISTORY

Acoustic rock guitarist Richard Arndt, of Colfax, performs for big crowds.

Jean and Dennis Cook enjoy their Victorian home built by Levy Springer in the 1880s.

See what the new Italian and Greek restaurant, Yanni’s Grill, has to offer.

The Baxter caboose is a piece of the past with renovation plans in the works.

Jasper County Living is a Newton Daily News publication........................

Dan Goetz Publisher Abigail Pelzer Editor Kate Malott Niche Publications Editor

Volume 3 Issue 4

Jeff Holschuh Advertising Director

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

3

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4

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

Gorgeous Georgia’s

has something for everyone

By Jamee A. Pierson It started with an attraction to a building and an overabundance of things. That is what lead Georgia Pierson to open Gorgeous Georgia’s in the former A Flair for Flower building in downtown Monroe.

“I’ve collected things for many years and always thought about having a shop but never managed it. I ended up having to rent storage space to put my things,” Pierson said. “I had been looking around the Des Moines for a shop, a rental space that was reasonable rent. I was driving through Monroe because I have relatives in the area and saw this cute little building; the building is what really attracted me.”

Gorgeous Georgia herself, along with her pal, Jolli Joni Frerichs, will likely greet you as you walk through the door and may share a story or two while you are looking around the variety of items. From clothes and jewelry to home décor, books, small kitchen items, puzzles and much more, Gorgeous Georgia’s has a little bit of everything for everyone.

Pierson and Frerichs are both collectors and found that after moving and having to rent storage space, it might be time to let the rest of the world enjoy their findings. They opened the shop in July and have hours from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. SatFall 2015 • Jasper County Living

urday.

“It has been fun. It has been a lot of hard work but we’ve met a lot of nice people and we are having fun with it,” Frerichs said. “We have a lot of things that have never been used, some that have been very gently used and anything that is overused we donate to the clothing shops or churches.”

The two women, both from Des Moines, have known each other for a while but became closer after recently traveling together.

“We both belonged to the same red hat club and we were well acquainted because it’s a smaller group. She ( Fr e r i c h s ) had a time share she was needing to use and she knew I like to travel so, we traveled last June for a month. I think I talked about it then, but not seri-

ously. Then I found the shop and I said ‘I found the place,’” Pierson said.

As word s p r e a d around town, more and more people are heading in to see what Gorgeous Georgia’s has to offer. They have even had kids come in to look through the boxes and find treasures to call their own.

“We’ve even had some younger boys in here looking through our 50-cent boxes and find things that they enjoy,” Frerichs said.

5

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To Learn more call 641-791-5000 Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

Mariposa Recreation area in midst of major overhaul Lake to be drained late spring, early summer of 2016

By Jason W. Brooks

lic to understand not only how long it takes to physically do the work involved with a major restoration but also to remember that there are many natural resources involved locally. Therefore many regulations must be followed for each step.

The project is entirely funded through the DNR’s Iowa Lake Restoration Program.

“There’s a lot of permit-seeking that needs to take place for a project like this,” Van Zante said. “There are many meetings and documents that are involved, and a lot of engineering planning.”

The 151-acre park

park features a campground, a playground, a fishing area and more. One of the new 2015 additions is a butterfly garden, an exhibit that features three bison, with milkweed planted to attract caterpillars, which was installed in July with help from volunteers and personnel from nearby Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

The recently installed rip-rap and coconut-fiber logs that will prevent shoreline erosion are in place to help with water quality, as is a watershed

A project with the scope of restoring Wolfe Lake and the rest of the Mariposa Recreation Area requires many different materials, such as gravel, concrete and coconut.

The last item on that list might sound more likely to be found on a Hawaiian coastline, rather than a lake in central Iowa. Coconut fiber, as it is used in places like Wolfe Lake at Mariposa, is used to

form a sponge-like log that prevents erosion.

Shoreline erosion prevention is one of many sub-projects that has been completed as part of a major restoration of Mariposa — especially in and around Wolfe Lake, which is the main feature of the park that’s located northeast of Newton.

There are many other elements to the project, which will take five to eight years to complete, accord-

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

ing to Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante.

One of the major phases of the elaborate restoration project is tentatively set to take place next year. Wolfe Lake will be drained in the late spring or early summer of 2016, if everything stays on schedule, and then much of the major work can be completed.

Van Zante said it’s important for the pub-

Mariposa|19

7

A love of all things

quilting

Crazy Redhead Quilting a busy success Three years after Laura Jochems opened the doors at Crazy Redhead Quilting, she is busier than ever and loving every minute.

8

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

T

he longtime quilter set up shop in the former Grace Lutheran Church on First Avenue East, a location she loved even before she knew what would go in it.

“I wanted it and was like, oh my gosh this is perfect. I knew it was perfect,” Jochems said.

At the time of the purchase, Jochems did not know what she was Jochems going to house in the former church, mulling over ideas from an antique shop to selling consignment items. It wasn’t until the local quilt shop closed its doors that Jochems knew exactly what she wanted to do.

“This was my hobby prior to opening the store. I had worked at a quilt store and I sold sewing machines at a store in Des Moines and decided after the quilt store in town closed, to open my own,” Jochems said. “It has been going remarkably well (since opening).

You never know when you open a business if it’s going to do well, it is a scary step. It’s gone very, very well.”

The shop now boasts between 4,000 and 5,000 bolts of fabric to use to create a one-of-a-kind project. Most of the fabric is cotton but there is also a selection of flannel and minky fabric as well.

“I love seasonal fabrics so we always have a great selection,” Jochems said.

Jochems said she had crafted for most of her life, but it wasn’t until she got married that quilting became the focus of her work.

“I have always done crafty things and quilting, I really picked up when I got married. My mother-in-law, Joyce Jochems, she made me quilts and wall hangings and different things for Christmas and my birthday, so I decided to start doing it,” Jochems said.

From there, she opened her business and hasn’t looked back.

“Whenever I do something I jump in feet first,” Jochems said.

Along with selling fabric by the yard, the shop also has a stock of patterns, precut fabric and embroidery, quilting and sewing threads. Jochems sells Brother and Juki sewing machines and sergers in a variety of sizes and Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

prices for those just beginning to seasoned veterans.

“We can get them started from start to finish. We can fix them up with a sewing machine as well as a beginning quilting class on how to pick out your fabrics, the proper way to cut and piece along with quilting it yourself,” Jochems said.

“My mother-in-law, Joyce Jochems, she made me quilts and wall hangings and different things for Christmas and my birthday, so I decided to start doing it.”

all over the U.S. and Canada had people go from shop to shop and pick up a license plate piece of fabric that they collected. We also had a 9x36 inch pattern that we designed. They came from shop to shop and could win a door prize if they came back with a completed quilt. It was very neat and I had customers from all states in here,” Jochems said. “In addition in June they do an all Iowa shop hop so I have people coming from all points in Iowa and surrounding states. They qualify for door prizes if they hit five shops in Iowa and it was super busy. It was fantastic, swamped busy.”

With new items coming in every week, Crazy Redhead Quilting is constantly changing and updating. It is a destination for those who love quilting and all that goes with it.

— Laura Jochems, Red Headed Quilting

Jochems offers several classes on different subjects starting with a beginning quilting class that begins about every eight weeks. She also offers technique and embroidery classes along with classes built to suit what people are looking to work on. Classes take place in the fall, winter and spring months.

During the summer, the quilt shop participates in different shop hops and quilt runs that bring people to Newton from all over the country.

“This past summer when had what is called a row by row experience. Shops

9

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10

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Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

Brews & Beards COLFAX MUSICIANS BECOME REGIONAL NAME IN ROCK SCENE

By Mike Mendenhall COLFAX — The Iowa Craft Beer tent at the Iowa State Fair has become known for Iowa grown hop beverages and home-brewed music. It might also be the only place at this year’s state fair which showcased a hard rock version of “The Three Little Pigs.”

But Colfax acoustic rock guitarist Richard Arndt knows his audience.

When 8-year-old Kyra Wang got up on stage to make a request Richard — with 1.5foot slightly graying goatee — had to oblige, but with his own twist.

“Any body heard the song ‘The Three Little Pigs?” Richard asked the crowd of roughly 200 hard rockers and hipsters assembled for the final Friday of the fair.

“This is the band Green Jelly’s version of ‘The Three Little Pigs.’ Here’s the deal.

You and you for sure need to sing loud and proud. I’m going to sing ‘little pig, little pig let me in,’ and you guys just as loud as you can, if you would, sing ‘not by the hair on my chinny-chin chin.’ Are you ready?”

Richard, 37, played 14 shows at the 2015 Iowa State Fair. But before he was a grassroots, hardworking musician, Richard grew up on Des Moines’ east side in a home behind what was then Smitty’s Meat Market. He started playing guitar at 11 years old Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

and became serious about music at age 12. Arndt credits his late uncle Larry and uncle Bruce Arndt for teaching him the fundamentals of music.

Bruce Arndt taught Richard how to play the guitar, which the Colfax singer/songwriter said consisted of showing him some chords and throwing him a tape.

“I come from a musical family. Everybody but my dad really plays something. He started playing harmonica,” Richard said. “He says, ‘That’s my son. He got all his talent from me. I just wish he would have left me some.’”

The tape was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd.” Not only did Richard learn from listening to the southern rock icons, but their music has become an integral part of his set list which is a mix of original and classic covers.

“I took that tape, went up into my room and locked myself in all summer,” he said.

“The first week, I learned all the rhythm to all the songs. I went down to show my uncles and my mom and my dad. I went back upstairs and learned all the leads. I went back downstairs and showed all my family what I was doing.”

Richard was an auto mechanic for 20 years. He was laid off from his last job due to overstaffing, but with his extensive touring, the beard stroking Pantera fan has been able to make music his fulltime career for three years

— with three years of strictly gigging before that. But the transition would not have happened if not for the support of his wife and business partner Missy.

“I told Missy, it finally happened. They let me go, so I’ll go find a part-time job. But she said ‘No. Do this and just this. And so far, we aren’t rich, but it’s paying the bills,” Richard said.

ARNDT | 19

“I took that tape, went up into my room and locked myself in all summer.”

— Richard Arndt, of The Brew

11

By Mike Mendenhall PRAIRIE CITY — Jean Cook was in real estate, selling another home in Prairie City 22 years ago when she eyeballed the Victorian she’s always wanted.

It had four porches — one in need of repair — but that was enough for her and husband Dennis Cook to move from the Des Moines area and settle in the small Jasper County town.

“I love the porches,” Cook said. “I think a good porch can sell a house.”

Springer House — which eventually became the name Jean Cook’s holiday decor and floral business — was built by Levy Springer who owned Prairie City’s lumber yard in the 1880s. According to Cook, he built the house as an advertisement to showcase the materials sold at the business — using six to seven different types of wood to construct the home.

The three-story, Victorian has a total of 2,600 square feet, plus an additional 800 with the Springer House design shop added in 2001. It has four bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. Cook loves

12

the solid oak staircase and believes it to be the most interesting architectural feature in the house. Other rooms also have unique elements. The attic floor is made of shiplap and the family room has birds eye maple molding and door frames.

One room has mahogany trim and the both the formal parlor and the family room have solid wood French doors.

Records and verbal accounts of just how old Springer House is conflicted, and Cook said the Prairie City abstracts don’t go back far enough to date it properly. Paperwork on the house dates to

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

The

Springer House

A Prairie City showpiece from 1880s to today

1880, and Prairie City residents have told the Cooks 1887 is the year the Victorian was constructed. By all accounts, the house is at least 130 years old.

The Cooks put a lot of effort into repairing termite damage, replacing the back porch and fixing multiple holes in the walls. The kitchen even had a “squishy” surprise with shag carpeting underneath the linoleum flooring. To this day, the Cooks still find little tidbits from a bygone era as they make improvements to the property. The bathroom, complete with a claw-foot

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

tub, was once a nanny’s quarters with a nursery connected via a small door.

A staircase leading from the bedrooms to the dinning room was the servant’s stairwell but is now the Cooks “walk-up not walk-in” closet.

“I was going to put a perennial garden in the back the other day. I was digging and ran into a sidewalk underneath the ground that used to go out to the outhouse. I forgot it was there,” Cook said.

The couple had a lot of antiques when they moved into the home, and Cook calls herself a “big formal person”

as seen with the lace drapery, four-post beds and nearly period-style design of the bed and bathrooms. And Cook couldn’t do Victorian without a little wallpaper.

“Right now wallpaper is out of style, but this house has to have wallpaper. It’s an old Victorian. If you don’t like Victorian and you don’t like wallpaper then you’re not going to like this house,” she said. “It’s not on the historic registry, although it could be. But I didn’t want anyone to tell me what I could and couldn’t do. I’ll let the next guy do it.”

13

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14

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

address: 2002 First Ave. E., Newton phone: 641-792-9631 website: yannisgrill.com

New restaurant offers homemade Italian, Greek food in Newton

(Yanni’s will be closed until Nov. 5 for kitchen renovations.)

Greek — gyro (lamb) platter, spanakopita (spinach pie) dinner, chicken or steak soulvaki Italian — manicotti, fettuccini alfredo, lasagna, chicken marsala, veal parmigiana, steak deburgo also — specialty pizzas, sandwiches, fish, salads, appetizers, baklava, wine

Rigoberto Ochoa has an established career in the central Iowa food industry, and this year, he opened a third Yanni’s Italian and Greek Bar & Grill location — this one in Newton.

Originally for Ecuador, Ochoa moved to New York at the age of 15 and began working in restaurants. In 1996, he and brother Ozzy were recruited to work at The Latin King in Des Moines.

The brothers opened their first business at Clocktower Square in Ochoa West Des Moines and later added the Ankeny location, which has been in business for more than 10 years. Their Italian and Greek specialities have been featured at the World Food Festival the last eight years.

Yanni’s features a variety of veal, lamb, chicken and steak Italian and Greek dishes. The brothers’ goal is to provide a high quality authentic dish at an affordable price. They also hope people get to know them and their culture.

“I want to make people happy,” Ochoa said. “I was born to do this.”

Italian favorites include Yanni’s homemade pasta, baked lasagna and raviolis.

Greek entrées consist of a chicken or lamb gyro platter, kotopoulo me spanikh (chicken breast rolled with spinach and feta in a lemon butter sauce with vegetables and potato croquette) and spanakopita (a Greek spinach pie served with marinara).

There’s a dessert selection featuring baklava, cannoli, cheesecake and tiramisu and more than 20 wines are available as well. | 19

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

15

It’s our differences that make us great.

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16

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

Baxter Boxcar Rare caboose used as teaching tool during 1990s renovation

By Alex Olp After more than 21 years, Baxter’s caboose still remains one of the most historical icons in the small town.

Since handing ownership of the caboose to the City of Baxter several years ago, Norma and Larry Kiser continue to reminisce about the journey they went through to get the caboose to their hometown.

The new retirement lifestyle left the married couple with extra time and an opportunity to look for a new special project to take on. That’s when Larry and Norma were informed about the caboose listed in a local newspaper ad-

vertisement. They purchased the boxcar for $500 out of a resident’s backyard in Indianola Oct. 14, 1994.

“We always worked. Then we got bored sitting around here with nothing to do,” Norma said. “We traveled around the Midwest quite often, and we’d go through small towns and these towns would have a park and they’d also have an old caboose or an old railroad car in it. That’s where I got the idea.”

It took all day and several cranes to move the caboose 40 miles, but by the end of the night Norma and Larry were

able to look at their new project as it sat at the head of the Chichaqua Valley Trail.

Shipping ran about $4,000 and refurbishing it ended up costing thousands more. The boxcar was in disrepair at the time of purchase, but the Kisers wasted little time and began renovations.

“We did about 20 to 25 different fundraiser events. In total we raised $15,000 over the period of two years, but that money was all put back into the caboose and some of it was used to do other fundraising events,” Norma said.

“It was two-year process to

get it renovated.”

Paint was applied to both the exterior and interior, railroad tracks were sandblasted and holes in the floor and ceiling were fixed. Benches and a staircase were also added to the exterior before it opened to the public in the late 1990s.

The caboose was a family project. Larry and Norma’s daughter joined in on the efforts and helped recruit community members and kids from the school.

The summer of 1995 is still fresh in Norma’s memory as she can still recall all of the volunteer help she received, including assistance with the exterior painting from high school kids.

While the kids were helping around the caboose, Norma took it upon herself

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Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

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Look for our next edition of

AG Mag Central Iowa

November 2015 Featuring additional coverage in Jasper, Poweshiek, Marshall, Tama, Benton, Marion, Mahaska & Keokuk Counties.

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Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

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Mariposa|continued from page 19

Arndt | continued from page 11

project that was completed a couple of years ago at the north end of Wolfe Lake, where water flows in. The watershed helps trap nitrates and other farming by-products before those even reach the man-made lake.

The south end of the lake flows into a stream that contributes to the North Skunk River.

Wolfe Lake, first dug and filled with water in 1952, has accumulated a great deal of sediment through the years, which has decreased the surface area and depth and creating a visible water-quality problem. Phosphorus attached to that sediment has led to blooms of algae, leading to poor water quality and clarity.

These issues not only affect the appearance of the lake — which impacts how many tourism dollars are spent in the area — but also Mariposa’s aquatic life. The 18-acre lake houses a watershed of 580 acres, existing completely in northeast Jasper County. The JCC Board manages the lake.

In 2013, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved Van Zante’s request to go ahead with the project.

One goal is to restore Mariposa to its habitat as indicated on maps created in 1979.

Fishing maximums have been eliminated; there’s no need to limit the amount of fish taken out of a lake about to be drained. A valid fishing license is still required; no dynamite or electric shock is allowed.

Van Zante urges anglers and other users of the park to be patient, as it will take years to complete all of these improvements. Mariposa will remain open as much as possible, but it will take some time for the earthwork to be complete — and for the lake to refill itself.

“Please be patient with us as we embark upon this incredible project,” Van Zante said.

“And we hope people will take care of it now, and in the years ahead. We all own a part of it.”

Any questions about the relaxed fishing regulations or the lake restoration project may be directed to Van Zante at 641-792-9780.

At the 2014 Iowa State Fair, Richard was one of the first local performers to play the grandstand, opening for Styx and Foreigner. He plays at small bars like Mingo’s Greencastle Tavern and Baxter’s Cadillac Jacks and larger Des Moines venues. But his 200 shows-plus per year are a team effort. Missy Arndt is his manager, coordinating all the promotional design from cardboard beards-on-a-stick to his website.

The two met at age 15 — Richard a Des Moines eastsider and Missy from the small town of Bondurant. Missy booked her future husband’s first gig in 1994 when they were both just 16 years old — a lock in at Bondurant-Farrar High School. The two have been together evey since.

For Richard’s next tour, Missy is working on is a regional trip with his new band The Brew. If all goes as scheduled, Richard and The Brew will travel to Minnesota, Missouri,

A lunch buffet offers a variety of foods such as pasta, baked tilapia, chicken marsala, steamed vegetables, pizza and salad bar. It is offered Tuesdays and Sundays and includes a beverage and dessert.

Yanni’s also serves as host to private parties such as business, birthday and holiday or any social gathering. Those interested are asked to call ahead, Ochoa said.

Fall 2015 • Jasper County Living

Nebraska and Illinois to play their brand of hard rock.

Being a full-time musician requires a lot of weekend work, so during the week Richard is “Mr. Mom,” Missy said. He volunteers at Colfax-Mingo Elementary School where their children attend. He puts on monthly shows for students, chaperones field trips and reads with the kids.

Richard and Missy take their parenting responsibilities seriously, but for the couple the line of work and play is blurred at the musician’s gigs.

Richard’s catchphrase for which he’s become known is “Drink!!” But the musician said it’s not an invitation for dangerous behavior.

“I always do a disclaimer. You don’t have to drink alcohol to drink along with me, you just have to drink. I don’t care if it’s water, KoolAid, pop, milk, grape drink. As long as your drinking, I don’t have to be the only one that has to pee.”

Caboose | continued from page 17 to educate the younger generation about a piece of history that sits in their hometown.

The wooden caboose is one of 12 of its kind still in existence.

The 1914 model was taken off the tracks in 1969 and still holds a lot of original character, which she pointed out to the volunteers every chance she got.

She explained to the kids that farmers rode in the caboose while their cattle were transported for sale, and the conductor of the train sat in the caboose as well to keep an eye out for possible danger ahead.

“His job was to get up in the cupola and look ahead over the train to see if there were any animals on the tracks, tracks out or bridges out,” Norma said. “And he would have a lantern and would swing it. That was a signal that there’s danger ahead. They didn’t have what we have today for communicating, but that was his job.”

Kids always found that interesting, but she said nothing was more intriguing than the caboose’s bathroom and seeing their faces when she told them there wasn’t a bottom to the toilet.

“It just goes down to the ground.

That’s why there was such nice weeds on the tracks. There wasn’t a flush or anything, it was nature — just give it back to nature,” Norma said. “Kids loved that. They thought that was really neat.”

The education portion of the caboose is currently on hold. It has carried railroad memorabilia and town artifacts since settling in Baxter, but it is now closed to the public and completely empty as it awaits another renovation.

“It’s a piece of our past. That’s our motto — preserving the past — and it is a piece of the past that our younger generation don’t know about. And if we don’t educate them about it, they’ll never know about it,” Norma said.

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