OST-12-1-2016 by Shaw Media

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156 YEARS • NO. 48

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016

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Osceola awarded $10K grant for new bike share project By KELSEY HAUGEN

CNA associate editor khaugen@crestonnews.com

Recently, Osceola was awarded a $10,000 grant toward its new Clarke Community Bike Share project. The Wellmark Foundation, a nonprofit organization, awarded 30 Community Kickstarter grants in Iowa totaling $277,654 for initiatives intended to make communities healthier. The projects chosen, out of 79 submissions, were awarded for their emphasis on providing long-term opportunities to make community members more active and healthy. “All of these communities and organizations are committed to improving the health and well-being of their citizens,” said Stephanie Perry, The Wellmark Foundation manager, in a press release. “These grants fund projects that will have

a community-wide impact now and for future generations.” As Osceola received $10,000, other projects in nearby communities were awarded, too. Afton received $5,000 to resurface its community basketball court, Creston was awarded $10,000 for a new playground at Taylor Park and Mount Ayr received $10,000 toward the Dragoon Trace Nature Center.

Osceola Osceola’s up-and-coming bike share program, spearheaded by Clarke County Public Health (CCPH), will allow local residents to check out a bicycle for a small fee and return it after riding. The goal is to start out with 10 new bikes plus bike racks. “We submitted a grant proposal, and then we had to post it on social media

and ask for the people of Clarke County to vote on it,” said Mackenzie Hickenbottom, RN and CCPH administrator. “That was a portion of what they considered community support to get the grant.” The purpose of launching the project is to improve health and wellness in Clarke County, Hickenbottom said. “We do a community health needs assessment every five years, and we did ours in the summer of 2015, and one of the things we found that we wanted to improve in Clarke County was the obesity rate. It’s pretty high,” she said. “And, we wanted to increase ways that people can do physical activi- Hickenbottom ty. So, we

have come up with this idea of getting a bike share, so that way, it’s easy access to physical activity in the community and things for people to do. We’re excited to implement the project now that we have the funds to do it.” Hickenbottom said the bikes will be “old-style with a basket on them,” to be used for leisurely riding. The bikes will be in sets of two on racks around Osceola. Right now, the plan is to have the bikes located on the town square. “We’re going to start that in the spring when we get the bikes, and then, once summer comes, if it’s going OK, ... we can move them to different areas of town. So, we could put some at the pool, for example,” she said. “There might be a small fee that we can use for the maintenance of the bike. We haven’t come up with

all the details, but it would be a very small fee to check out the bikes and bring them back to the stand that they’re from.” The Community Kickstarter grant will cover the majority of the funds needed to purchase the new bikes and racks. “There’s about $1,000 more needed to get 10 bikes. Right now, we have enough for nine, but hopefully, we can get the 10; I think that’s a good number to start with,” Hickenbottom said. “We’ve reached out to parks and rec, the city council and Clarke supervisors, and everyone’s very supportive of the project, so I think we’ll be able to get the full 10 bikes.” The Community Kickstarter funds will be released early this month, and then CCPH staff will purchase the bikes, which will BIKE SHARE | 4B

Osceola on the path to enlightenment Total loss in New Virginia fire By HILARY FERRAND

OST news editor hferrand@osceolaiowa.com

Erica Miller, owner of inSpirit Healing Arts in Tiffin, hosted a Thanksgiving meditation Thursday, Nov. 25, at Wild Poppy Salon & Day Spa & School of Massage. Free-will offerings for the event were donated to the Osceola Senior Center. For those who aren’t familiar with meditation, some confuse it with prayer. While there are similarities, the meditation practiced and taught by Miller isn’t religious in nature. “I’ve definitely had some very prof o u n d moments in my m e d i tation, places that I’ve been in Miller my meditation where it has created real change within my life,” Miller said.

Most of the focus during meditation is inward. Concentrating on your body, breathing, emotions and overall wellness is key. Depending on the type of meditation you’re practicing, you might expand those thoughts to others as well. “It can create a foundation of emotional stability, of open-heartedness, of open-mindedness, of experiencing life at its fullest,” Miller said. “Meditation is life changing.” She’s not the only one saying it. Some doctors – including Nobel Prize-winner Elizabeth Blackburn – are seeking to prove real health benefits to meditation. According to Blackburn’s recently published study, it fights early aging. Harvard researchers are currently conducting a five-year study on the impact medication has on depression, stress and chronic anxiety. How much meditation is needed to see a change? “A lot can happen in a small amount of time,” Miller said.

Her online meditation class, “Off the Cushion,” provides students with a five-minute, 10-minute and 25-minute guided session each week. Miller said meditation is flexible enough to work with any schedule. “It’s better to give yourself that five minutes – even if it’s a quick five minutes,” Miller said. The Thanksgiving session at Wild Poppy Salon lasted nearly an hour and centered on a practice called Metta Bhavana. Translated, the name means, “loving kindness,” and as the session progresses, practitioners are called to thank themselves, and then move those positive feelings out toward loved ones, strangers and even those they might consider enemies, before returning again to oneself. While Miller’s practice is located in Tiffin, housed in the same building as the LifePoint Christian Faith Center, she has local ties. “I come back every few months to see my grandfather, Bill Oehlert,” Miller

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said. She graduated from Clarke High School in 1996, alongside the Wild Poppy Salon owner, Monika Davis. Thanksgiving seemed the perfect time for the friends to collaborate. They’ve planned more events for the future. Davis opened her salon just over a year ago and the list of available services continues to grow. “Our day-to-day is facials, nails, massage and hair,” Davis said. “I also teach massage therapy courses and continuing education for other massage therapists.” In the coming months, expanded nail services, yoga classes and other specialty offerings will provide clients with a full selection of salon and personal-care services. “Business is wonderful,” Davis said. “The community has been so supportive.” For more information on Miller’s upcoming meditation sessions, call 641-4146892.

F o re c a s t s

and

Conditions

Virginia Township firefighters were called to 21559 58 Ave., north of New Virginia, for a structure fire 2:45 p.m. Nov. 18. Upon first alarm, St. Mary’s and Osceola fire departments were called to assist. “For most house fires we have to call for help because we don’t have enough people on during the day,” said Virginia Township Fire Chief Mike Bethards. When crews arrived on the scene, they found the house, owned by Judy Voltmer, fully engulfed. Because of high winds, the fire had spread to two nearby vehicles and a small shed also owned by Voltmer. Firefighters estab-

lished a water supply then battled the fire and winds for nearly four hours. At around 6:30 p.m., the fire was safely controlled. Virginia Township firefighters responded back to the location three times overnight to extinguish hot spots reignited by high winds. According to a Virginia Township Fire Department report, the structures and two vehicles are considered a total loss. After the investigation was complete, Bethards said the fire most likely started after an electrical surge in the area that also affected other residents.

OST photo by HILARY FERRAND

Sleighbells ring, are ya’ listening?:

Downtown businesses ready themselves for Holiday Brilliance, Saturday, Dec. 3. Read more on page 4B.

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Leaders of the month: Clarke Community Middle School presents its November leaders of the month. These students demonstrated leadership skills inside and outside of their classOsceola, Iowa, United States (50213)

rooms. Visit the middle school’s website to read their nominations. AT LEFT, seventh-grade leaders of the month are, from left, Josh Operle, Kamis Bulis, Joana Tomas Francisco, Lexi Cooper, Ely Latest Conditions Crawford and Josue Torres. AT RIGHT, eighth-grade leaders of the month are, from left, Alexis Arnold, Maria Humidity Avalos Perez,53% Kaitlyn Halsband, Lauren Mickle and Hailee Fry. Not pictured is Eisen Barr. Wind SSE 11 MPH Gusts 15 Forecasts

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