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Jasper County golf courses prepare for 2021 after a strangely successful 2020 season

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

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

Zack Alexander, M.D., CCD Family Practice

Duane Jolivette, M.D. Family Practice

Andrew Cope, D.O. Family Practice

Jeff Olson, DPM Foot/Ankle Surgeon

Darryl Johnson, OBGYN

Nicole Ferguson, D.O. Family Practice

Luke Perrin, M.D. Family Practice

Laurie Siddall, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice

Beth Preston, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice

Jodi Holloway. ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice

Angela Nelson, PA-C Family Practice

Kelsey Tish, ARNP, FNP-C Family Practice

Sarah Neal ARNP, Urgent Care

Christy Lester, ARNP, Urgent Care

Past

Future

Our roots were established as far back as the 1920s. The providers of Newton Clinic have been caring for this community for more than 80 years.

Our clinic continues to grow to meet your needs. Whether you want a male provider or a female one, a new graduate or a veteran doc, we have the right health-care provider for you.

We want to make you better when you are sick, keep you healthy when you are well, help you grow your family when a little one is on the way, and help you say goodbye in peace when your journey is done.

Every patient has a choice. Thank you for turning to Newton Clinic. Thank you for letting us treat you... like family.

Present

Always

Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. • Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon Same-day appointments always available!

(641) 792-2112 • 300 N. 4th Ave. E., Newton • www.newtonclinic.com • www.facebook.com/newtonclinic

Jasper County Living 5 --- Getting Spicy New restaurant in Monroe, El Maguey Mexican Grill and Bar, a hit

7 --- Get to know Julie Smith Capstone director sheds light on dealing with mental health, especially during a pandemic

13 --- 120 Hours Outdoors Jasper County Conservation encourages residents to enjoy the great outdoors

14 --- Golf? It’s worth a shot! After a strangely successful 2020, golf courses prepare their 2021 return hoping for the best

17 --- Moving forward COVID-19 vaccine distribution in full force in Jasper County

27 --- Downtown Building History The Emmel Building history revealed following the derecho designed by Jamee A. Pierson Official product of the Newton Daily News. For questions about advertising or to advertise please contact us at 641-792-3121 ext 6540 Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

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It’s getting spicy New restaurant in Monroe, El Maguey Mexican Grill and Bar, a hit By Jamee A. Pierson Since opening in Monroe at the first of the year, El Maguey Mexican Grill and Bar has been an instant hit. Vehicles can been seen lined up around the downtown square as locals and those from out of town get a taste of the new, spicy treat. “The people in town are the best,” business partner Marlén said. “We have received many positive messages. They have treated us with affectionate respect.” The grill and bar came to Monroe, located at 105 E. Marion St. in the American Legion building, after Marlén’s uncle was passing through town and asked if any buildings were available. It took a little while but when CJ’s Bar and Grill closed its doors in June, the space was opened up for Marlén. With the redesigned bar area, tables from Mexico and ample dining space, the eatery serves up delicious authentic Mexican food tagged the “best place for you and your family for lunch and dinner with a good environment.” With the “best margaritas in town” El Maguey is ready for everyone to have a good time, feel comfortable and try all of their delicious plates.

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Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

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Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

Get to know: Julie Smith Capstone director sheds light on dealing with mental health, especially during a pandemic By Pam Pratt Julie Smith has spent the past 16 years with Capstone Behavioral Healthcare, first in the residential program. After working her way up in the company, she took the helm as the executive director in 2012. She admittedly didn’t have much experience running a community mental health center at the time. Her involvement with human service organizations in the past taught her to surround herself with good people to make sure patients were being served in the community. Smith said at the time when she took over as director, Capstone was serving about 800 patients in a given year. Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

Now in 2021, they are serving 5,000 patients per year. They have grown from 23 staff members to 85 employees who cover Jasper and Poweshiek County’s mental health needs. Smith spoke to Jasper County Living about her drive to serve the community and to shed some light on mental health needs. What made you want to do this job? I’ve always worked in human services. I’ve worked in

Cont. page 11

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Cont. page 7 out and break that stigma. NAMI has human services for over 30 years. I’ve worked with the ID population, with the brain injury population and I just really like to help people and advocate for people. I think that’s really what it is. I just feel like people need to have advocates and people in place that will fight for them and get the services they need. What has changed the most? Oh my gosh. I think one thing that changes the most is the funding, unfortunately, trying to navigate that is the most difficult thing because it does change so much. But also, I think that Jasper County is very fortunate. We have a lot of services in Jasper County. Sometimes I don’t know that everyone is aware of all the services we have in Jasper County because you don’t really know they’re there until you need to use them. So we really have tried over the last couple of years to try to do outreach stuff on social media and through advertisements in the paper just so that people are aware we are here. What do you want people to know or understand about mental health? Mental health has such a horrible stigma surrounded by it. I guess that people need to understand that it’s not necessarily the scary person that you see in a movie that has a mental health issue. One in every five persons in the United States has a mental health diagnosis, and so that’s a pretty high number. I think that people need to understand everyone suffers from anxiety and depression. And some of the chronically mental ill folks that have schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, they can be treated with medication and can lead very stable lives and be participating members of the community. It’s difficult because you want to break that stigma. I think that it’s good ... in the last few years it’s gotten better with celebrities coming out and saying, “I suffer from depression.” And there was Robin Williams who committed suicide and he suffered from depression. So, I applaud those people who are high public figures who try to come

Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

an amazing presence in our counties and in the state. Angela Tharp, CEO of NAMI, does an amazing job of trying to spread the word and break the stigma. She has a personal story of her own that she shares. That’s probably the biggest barrier is somebody thinking it’s a bad thing to have a mental illness. What is one thing people can do to help? I think just talk about it. And talking about it starts young ... it starts in school and telling people. We see a lot of kids at Capstone now and I think just telling people, telling your kids if you see someone who is sad or upset, to talk to them. Talk to your parents. Talk to your family members and figure out if there is something going on with them that is different. If you see signs that somebody’s isolating or not wanting to talk to people. Just maybe talk to them and reach out. What are ways that you use to make people feel more comfortable talking about mental health? I think just that it’s normal, they are normal feelings. It’s OK to be sad and it’s OK to be anxious. There’s so much going on in the world including COVID that we’ve been dealing with for a year. We’ve seen a huge increase in people that had never, ever reached out for mental health, but they’re struggling with their kids not being in school full time and they’re struggling with daycare, they’re struggling with temporary layoffs and job losses and that kind of thing so I think just making people aware that’s it’s OK to not be OK. That everybody kind of goes through that. Just trying to make it so it’s a more normal thing that you don’t have to be embarrassed about it. Capstone has been very fortunate, we were closed, our office was actually closed to the public for I think seven weeks and during that time, we implemented telehealth and phone calls so people could access their providers and their med providers. When that all started and I was working from home, I was really worried. Every single day

I was worried that people weren’t going to attend their appointments, they weren’t going to call, we weren’t going to be able to get a hold of people. Now that we’re a year into it, honestly it’s been a blessing in disguise. People who do have high anxiety or don’t want to leave their house or older population or people that are home with their kids, I mean it has made a huge impact being able to have those appointments via telehealth and via the phone then people don’t have to come out. People don’t have to be exposed and they can still receive their mental health treatment. Most of my therapists, the productivity rates are still very high. It’s something that I worried about that people weren’t going to attend their appointments but we’ve seen a huge increase in mental health needs, especially over the past year. Then with the derecho too. It was like seriously, can we have one more thing? During that time, Capstone was delivering meals and making meals. Some of our group homes did not have power, so it was just a nightmare. But really, honestly, Capstone has the best staff. It’s a family environment and everybody has pulled together the last year. It’s a huge stressor for our staff too because they hear about the huge increase, especially with depression and anxiety. So our staff hears that every single day. I mean of course people don’t come in here and say, “Oh I’m so happy and I don’t need anything.” But it’s a huge stressor for them, trying to learn how to provide therapy through telehealth and phone calls and still be effective and still serve the patients that we serve in these counties. Anything else to share? Just to stress that people just need to keep talking about mental health and support each other. Substance abuse issues have also been on the rise with the pandemic. You know, mental health and substance abuse go hand-in-hand at times. So that’s been on the rise as well. Capstone does have substance abuse counselors here as well, so they are very helpful with people who are struggling with different stressors from everything.

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Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

Jasper County Conservation encourages residents to enjoy the great outdoors

By Pam Pratt Jasper County Conservation has introduced its 120 Hours Outdoors in 2021 Challenge at the beginning of the year to encourage residents to enjoy outdoor activities at some of the parks in the county or in any way they enjoy being outside. The idea sparked during a Zoom conference when Iowa naturalists were discussing the difficulties in not visiting schools this year. Conservation typically hosts field trips and other public programming; but during the pandemic, this had to be adjusted to reduce contact. The staff then discussed a nation-wide initiative program called 1000 Hours Outside, which has a goal of getting children outdoors for 4 to 6 hours a day, matching average daily screen time with time outside. Jasper County Naturalists Katie Cantu said an average Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

American child spends an average of 1,200 hours watching television a year. As they were looking at introducing the ideas to Jasper County residents, they felt it may be easier to start with a smaller goal. “My kids spend a ton of time outside and less watching TV, but I felt that 4-6 hours a day is a pretty high goal for someone starting out. Some of the naturalists agreed that the 120 hour goal seemed like an easy way to encourage people to get outdoors, averaging about 3 hours a week. Plus, 120 in 2021 sounded rather catchy,” Cantu said. Log sheets can be downloaded from jaspercountyconservation.com or participants can keep their own log to

Cont. page 27 13

Golf? It’s worth a shot!

After a strangely successful 2020, golf courses prepare their 2021 return hoping for the best By Christopher Braunschweig The pandemic kept everyone else inside — except golfers. Val Courter remembers it well. The relatively new clubhouse manager at Diamond Trail Golf Club extended hours and called in extra staff to keep up with the influx of customers. If they weren’t taking a swing at the nine-hole course in Lynnville, guests were basking in the sun on the clubhouse patio. 14

Sundays were packed full of golfers, Courter said, especially in nicer weather. It wasn’t uncommon for Diamond Trail staff to run out of available golf carts. Even though golfers were outdoors, staff permitted them to take separate carts rather than to share. Sometimes golfers had to wait in line to tee off. “I’ve never had that happen,” Courter said, noting she has only been managing the clubhouse for nearly two years. Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

“The play was up from last year. I’m excited to see what this year brings!” The National Golf Foundation projects the total rounds played nationwide in 2020 could be up as much as 15 percent compared to 2019, Newton Community Services Director Brian Laube said last year. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly keeping people in quarantine, golf courses saw increased play. Courter said it’s because golf was one of the few activities people could do safely at that time. The sport is played outside and players can stay relatively far apart. Brad Zegers, a board member for Diamond Trail, said the golf course’s transitioning from a private club to public course a few years prior had helped. “I think that’s part of it, but I think the pandemic and (the fact that) a couple of local courses didn’t open last year, so we really reaped the benefits of that,” Zegers said. “It was one of our best years ever, so we’re hoping to repeat that this year. Onward and upward.” Looking at the numbers, Zegers said Diamond Trail almost doubled its outside green fees in 2020 compared to the year before. It was a breath of fresh air for Zegers and his fellow board members, who’ve experienced and know first-hand the pitfalls of today’s golf business.

Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

Surviving for 20 years was a challenge, Zegers said. “But we have a lot of caring members that have invested a lot of money and time to make sure that Diamond Trail has been there and will continue to be there. Last year was really one of the first years I can remember where you looked across the course on a Saturday or Sunday and it looked like a real golf course.” Based on the amount of phone calls Zegers and Courter received in early March, golfers are eager to get back on the course. Similar sentiments are shared by other golf courses in the area. Brad Sponseller, the golf pro at Westwood Golf Course in Newton, has received those exact same calls. Like Diamond Trail, the 18-hole, municipally-owned golf course saw increased play, despite hardships like the pandemic and derecho. Laube said Westwood saw a 10 percent increase in the number of rounds played in 2020 when compared to 2019 or 35 percent increase compared to 2018. “We’ve had two consecutive years of growth and hopefully it’ll continue,” Laube said. Sponseller speculates the lack of or the cancellation of other activities — sports tournaments and recitals, for instance —

allowed golf courses to thrive. “None of those events really happened, so all they had left to do was come out and play golf,” Sponseller said. “The rounds had some really nice increases last year. Mainly our increases were in the daily play. Our season passes weren’t really up a ton, but our punch card sales were up a lot.” Daily fees for both weekdays and weekends were booming at Westwood. Twilight hour play saw increased interest, too. With the vaccines starting to roll out and more events being planned rather than postponed, Sponseller is hoping the work done last year is enough to get those golfers coming back. At this point, golf courses are relying on the work they did in 2020 — as well as marketing efforts — to reach new players or retain the out-of-town guests they served last year. Zegers knows last year was a bit of an outlier, but there were more golfers coming to Diamond Trail. This can make budgeting difficult. “We try to contain our excitement a little bit not to set those numbers up where they were last year, and hopefully we won’t be too disappointed,” Zegers said. “We were conservative when we tried to set our budget so we’re cautiously optimistic.”

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Moving forward COVID-19 vaccine distribution in full force in Jasper County By Jamee A. Pierson A little more than a year ago, the world came to a halt. COVID-19, the coronavirus, brought on a pandemic that closed schools, shut down businesses and people stayed close to home more than ever. Many trials and tribulations, along with signs of hope and compassion filled 2020 with a bright light coming by way of a vaccine. Jasper County received its first vaccine vials in late December and has been working hard to get every available dose to the waiting public. “(As of March 11,) we’ve had 3,020 doses given for people who have only had the first dose. Those with the second dose is 4,065. You can take that times two which would be 8,130 doses,” Jasper County Health Department Administrator Becky Pryor said. “We’ve had a total that are fully vaccinated of 4,198 people and our population is between 37,000 to 38,000.” When the vaccines first came to the county, Phase 1A of distribution took Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

place. That included health care personnel and long-term care residents. After a little more than a month, the county moved to Phase 1B Tier 1 which expanded those eligible to first responders, school staff, early childhood educators and childcare workers and those 65 and older. Since that time, the staffs at local health facilities including the county health department, the Newton Clinic, Medicap Pharmacy, Hy-Vee, Prairie City Medical Clinic and Sully Medical Clinic have been working tirelessly to vaccinate all those who selected to receive the vaccine. By the end of March, all school districts in the county will have received their second dose and several clinics were held on location to serve the schools. “We did move to the next phase in Jasper County because we were to the point we were having a hard time saturating all of our appointments,” Pryor said. “It was open to health care, education, daycare, first responders,

those older than 65 and a few others and Newton Clinic had openings that weren’t filling up as quickly. It was at that time we were getting so many phone calls that we decided to open it up to those 18 to 64 with chronic medical conditions.” The county has consistently been receiving 500 doses of the vaccine, including both the Moderna and Pfizer two-dose varieties and a small number of the Johnson and Johnson one-dose type. For the first two, a second booster dose is also allocated, upping the county numbers to 1,000 per week. “Our numbers look really good on the maps, we are at the top tier of where we should be. We are being judged on how fast we can get the vaccine into the arms of people,” Pryor said. “I do believe our community partners are doing a great job. We’ve had different methods, people are

Cont. page 21

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Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

Cont. page 17 using phone numbers, texts and online appointment scheduling.” For many months, the number people focused on was the positivity rate in the county. As the percentage climbed, various schools went to online learning and businesses adapted with social distancing measures. The total cases of COVID-19 in Jasper County as of mid-March were 4,228 with 67 deaths recorded. As of March 11, the seven-day positivity rate was 4 percent. The 14-day positivity rate was at 10.5 percent, a number Pryor hopes to see fall with the encouraging seven-day number. “We’re happy to finally see 4 percent in our county,” Pryor said. “Many of the long-term care facilities are looking at that number and if it is under 10 percent then they can open up more of their facilities. Looking at the seven-day rate, hopefully the 14-day rate will decrease.” National statements have been made projecting vaccines will be available for anyone who wants one by the end of May. As the process continues, the local health officials will continue to work hard dealing with the pandemic. “Wherever we are needed is what we are doing,” Pryor said.

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WE ENCOURAGE THE “LIVE, WORK, PLAY” DOWNTOWN MENTALITY. WHEN YOUR DOWNTOWN IS STRONG, YOUR COMMUNITY IS STRONG. WHO ARE WE?

We believe that everyone deserves access to a vibrant neighborhood – a place that has a thriving local economy, is rich in character, and features inviting public spaces that make residents and visitors feel that they belong. Newton Main Street is a 501(c)3 economic development that focuses on historic preservation organization. We operate under the IEDA but are fully funded by the community. We are one of 54 Main Street communities in the state of Iowa and one of thousands nationwide!

ALL THIS HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF INVESTORS, PARTNERS & COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIKE YOU!

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INVESTMENT INFORMATION: I would like to man an investment in the name of: __________________________________ Yes, I would like to support Newton Main Street at the following level:  $1,000+ Forever A Cardinal Investment  $500-999 Main Street Pride Investment  $250-499 Newton Strong Investment  $50-249 Newtonian Investment  Other $_______________  I would like to make an in-kind investment of the following services or products: ______________________________ ___________________________________________________________

PAYMENT INFORMATION  Enclosed check (made payable to: Newton Main Street)  Total included: $ _________  Mail invoice to investor address listed above Signature: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ INVESTOR INFORMATION: Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Business/Organization: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: __________________________ Email: ____________________________________________ Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________ State: _____________________ Zip Code: _____________________ PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS FORM TO: Newton Main Street 113 1st Ave. W. Newton, Iowa 50208 Newton Main Street is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. No goods or services were provided in exchange for this contribution. Please consult your tax advisor with specific questions about your deductions. 22

Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

THE EMMEL BUILDING By Larry Hurto Newton Historic Preservation Commission & Main Street Design Committee

The Emmel Building was constructed as the Gorrell Block in 1880 in the Commercial Italianate style of architecture. It is a double-wide, brick building at 103 First Ave. W. that currently houses Relics, Antiques, Collectibles, and Shtuff! As a result of the derecho, the straight-line windstorm that hit Newton on Aug. 10, 2020, much of the front of the building was torn off, revealing the structure’s original brick construction. Also unveiled was a name plate that is inset at the top of the north façade of the property inscribed with the name EMMEL BLDG. The J.C. Penney Department Store came to Newton in August of 1922. Wm. M. Rhoads, a longtime paint, wallpaper and art dealer, who had discontinued his retail business in about 1920, rented the space he’d occupied at 109 First Ave. W. to the company. J. C. Penney Company Manager W. C. Emmel, who became an important civic leader here, came to Newton from the Penney organization in Athena, Ore. Under his management, the business prospered so much that it had to expand. In 1928, W. C. Emmel purchased the Gorrell Block from Dr. Gorrell’s daughter, Carrie Gorrell Hunter, and her husband, J. W. Hunter. Town Lot Deed Record, No. 369, Jasper County, Iowa, describes the property as “The Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

west forty-five feet in width of Lot One (1), in Block Twenty (20) in the original town, now city, of Newton, Iowa.” Emmel spent more than $22,000 remodeling the building. Contracts for the remodeling of the building were signed April 5, 1929 by Emmel and Robert Hannon of the Hannon Construction Co. Hannon had been a general contractor and builder in Newton since 1913 covering Iowa and parts of Missouri. In 1929, Hannon’s partner in the concern was Marshall W. Ingraham, a resident of Nebraska City, Neb. The contractors’ office was in the old Jasper County Savings Bank building on the southwest corner of the square. Robert E. “Bob” Miller owned and operated the Miller Dry Goods Co. in the Gorrell Block from 1911 until his retirement on Apr. 30, 1929. Also located here at the time was the Nollen Drug Store, which moved to 109 First Ave. W. May 27-June 1. “Plans for the building call for complete remodeling of the interior of the building,” The Newton Daily News announced on Apr. 6, 1929. “A new front will be installed, the stairway dividing the two stores at present will be

Cont. page 25

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Cont. page 23 moved to the west side of the building and the first floor will be entirely reconstructed. “The new front will be that of a typical J. C. Penney company store, finished with yellow and black tile. It will have a double entry with windows on each side and a window between the two doors. “Within the building, new walls will be erected, the center wall will be removed and a full 40 foot balcony will be constructed in the rear of the store for the ready to wear department. “Below the balcony will be a thoroughly modern shoe department, while the office will be located in the balcony. “The second floor of the building will be devoted to office rooms, which are scheduled to be remodeled. The central hall on the second floor will be removed and a short hallway constructed at the southern end of the second floor. “The basement will be devoted to toys and storage space and work in the basement is expected to be started at the end of this month.” The J. C. Penney Company store moved from the Rhoads building into the new store on Sept. 16, 1929 – with the formal dedication taking place on Oct. 1, 1929. At that time, the Gorrell Block became known as the Emmel Building. Emmel managed the Newton store for ten years and was succeeded in 1932 by Cecil F. Rash. “It was during his tenure that the Penney store was remodeled [sic] into the modern, attractive and efficient store it is today,” the Daily News apprised its readers on May 2, 1952. “On March 23, 1948, Penney’s opened its new second floor addition which added more than 4,000 square feet of addi-

tional selling and display space. ... The front was modernized as well as the interior where fixtures, lighting and decorations all were changed with the end result that Newton’s J. C. Penney store is among the finest for its size.” Rash served with the store until his death on May 18, 1949.

Store manager Larry Goetz authorized the installation of a second exit for the upper level of the store in 1981. The store was closed around 1990, and the chain reverted to doing business in Newton as a catalog sales outlet at the non-extant Newton Mall, 1501 First Ave. E.

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Historic Colfax Iowa Celebrating 12 Years As A Main Street Community

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Fun selection of Antiques, Vintage, Retro, Primitives and Candles Open 2nd Friday & Saturday 10-5 • Monthly or by Appointment

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Cont. page 13 find the leaf and send us a selfie with it keep track of hours. The conservation isn’t specific about how people are supposed to spend time outside, but do suggest it be a meaningful nature experience like a walk in the park, fishing at a pond or paddling across a lake. Cantu said people shouldn’t count time spent outdoors at a children’s sporting activity, even though it’s outdoors it’s not specifically what the program is about. At the end of the year, people turn in their log sheets at the Jasper County Conservation office and will receive a small prize as a reward like a free ski or snowshoe rental, a free public paddle pass or free camping pass at a county park. “We would love to see photos or hear stories about your experiences in the outdoors,” Cantu said. To encourage residents to go to the county parks, Cantu has started a county-wide scavenger hunt. Conservation staff have placed a white laminated leaf picture in various areas of the county. Clues to the leaf ’s whereabouts will be posted on the Jasper County Conservation’s Facebook page. “The first family or individual to Spring 2021 • Jasper County Living

claims bragging rights on social media. So far the leaf has been spotted at Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, Wagaman Mill in Lynnville, and at the Jasper County Conservation office in Newton,” Cantu said. The leaf is hidden in plain sight so pictures can easily be taken. As the weather gets warmer, the hunt may become a little more difficult as some of the lesser-known areas of the county will be included. Cantu said the conservation manages more than 30 different areas in the county which covers more than 3,000 acres. The county will also unveil two new park and wildlife areas in 2021, which will be prime spots to hide the leaf. “Any time spent looking for the leaf would be a great way to add more hours to the 120 Challenge and we hope participants learn more about their county conservation areas through this scavenger hunt,” Cantu said. Cantu encourages people not to wait for “perfect weather” to explore the great outdoors. She encourages adults to strip away the excuses and find their sense of adventure without worrying about the weather conditions. “If you’ve ever heard the statement,

‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,’ that is pretty true. Just remember to dress appropriately,” Cantu said. “There are so many benefits to being outside.” She listed several of the benefits of being outdoors: • lowering your blood pressure and stress hormone levels, • giving your eyes a chance to relax and recover from looking at screens for too long • giving yourself a dose of much-needed vitamin D • sleeping better at night after being exposed to natural light • improving your focus and short term memory • boosting your serotonin levels which makes you just feel happier “That is just a few of the benefits. If you feel stagnated, stressed, depressed, tired, scattered or sore, get up and take a short walk outside, no matter the weather. Your body and brain will thank you,” Cantu said. For more information about upcoming activities in the county parks, visit the conservation’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/jaspercountyconservation/ 27

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