Park Bench newsletter - August 2015

Park Bench

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Iowa City Parks & Recreation newsletter     |     August 2015

New Activity Guides

Our new Fall Activity Guides will be available the week of Aug. 17. Pick up a printed copy at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, Mercer / Scanlon, Public Library, or City Hall, or go paperless and view it online at www.icgov.org/pr.

Registration for fall classes gets underway Aug. 26. Beginning at 12:01 a.m., you may register and pay for classes online through ActiveNet at www.icgov.org/pr. In-person registration gets underway at 8 a.m. at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, and at 10 a.m. at Mercer / Scanlon. Explore something new this fall and sign up for a class! For more info, call 319-356-5100.

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Pool closure

Mercer Park Pool at the Mercer / Scanlon facility at 2701 Bradford Drive will be closed from August 3-29 for pool maintenance and upkeep. Look for it to reopen in early September. Hours at the other two Iowa City pools will be adjusted to accommodate the closure. Revised schedules for the Robert A. Lee and City Park pools are posted at http://www.iowa-city.org/weblink/0/doc/1484520/Electronic.aspx. Questions may be directed to Aquatics Supervisor Matthew Eckhardt at 319-887-6117 or matthew-eckhardt@iowa-city.org.

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Harvest Party

Backyard Abundance will host a “Smoothie and Harvest Party” at the Wetherby Park Edible Forest at 2400 Taylor Drive in Iowa City on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Help harvest cherries, aronia berries, and culinary herbs and enjoy smoothies made with fruits harvested from trees and shrubs in the garden. Also, take a look at the new QR code-imprinted informational signage that describes specific features of edible plants at the site, including recipes.

The Wetherby Park Edible Forest is a joint project between Backyard Abundance and the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. To learn more, visit www.backyardabundance.org or contact Backyard Abundance Director Fred Meyer at 319-325-6810 or fred.meyer@BackyardAbundance.org.

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Party in the Park

Only two parties remain this summer, so if you haven’t yet made it to one, it’s time to get going! Here’s the remaining schedule:

Thursday, Aug. 6: Highland Park, corner of Highland Avenue and Keokuk Street, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Music by Bob and Kristie Black

Thursday, Aug. 13: Reno Park, corner of Reno and Fairchild Streets, 6:30 to 8 p.m. This is a make-up event from June, when inclement weather forced us to postpone. Music by Ron Hillis.

Party in the Park offers games, arts and craft projects, ice cream, and live music at no charge. Come on down and enjoy yourself! For more information, call 319-356-5100.

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Peppers

What's at the market?

What types of fresh produce are coming to the Farmers Markets in August? Apples, artichokes, beans, bell peppers, berries, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, grapes, herbs, melons, nectarines, okra, onions, peaches, peas, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips and mushrooms. You can’t get any fresher than just-picked at the farm!

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See you at the pool!

Just a reminder that on Monday, Aug. 3, we'll be trying to fill a wading pool full of canned foods and non-perishable food items at City Park Pool to donate to the Crisis Center. Bring in an item and swim at no charge all day long!

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National Night Out

Iowa City residents are encouraged to join in with neighbors across the United States for the 32nd annual National Night Out on Aug. 4 to promote police-community partnerships, reduce crime, and strengthen neighborhoods.

A City-wide event is planned at Wetherby Park, 2400 Taylor Drive, from 5 to 7 p.m. Festivities will include live music by D.J. Juan Santiago from 5 to 6:30 p.m.; face-painting; tours of Iowa City public safety vehicles; family fun in the park's splash pad; and numerous handouts and gifts provided by the Iowa City Police Department and Target, including kids' backpacks. Appearances by McGruff the Crime Dog and Herky, the University of Iowa mascot, are also planned.

There is no fee to participate.

For more information, visit https://icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/police or contact Officer R.A. Mebus at 319-356-5273 or crime-prevention@iowa-city.org.

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Subscribe to City news!

Learn what’s happening at the City of Iowa City by subscribing to the Park Bench electronic newsletter, City media releases, and more. Visit https://icgov.org/e-subscriptions for more information.

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Parks & Recreation logo

Website: https://icgov.org/pr

Info: 319-356-5100

FACILITIES:

Robert A. Lee Recreation Center

220 S. Gilbert Street, Iowa City

Mercer Pool / Scanlon Gym

2701 Bradford Drive, Iowa City

New playground equipment

Park improvements

Tower Court Park, located at the intersection of Tower Court and George Street, underwent some major renovations this summer, much to the enjoyment of residents who live in the neighborhood. Upgrades include a new playground and swing set, as well as a new spray pad (open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily) to keep visitors cool and entertained during summer months. The park renovation project also features new park benches and a water fountain. Pack a picnic and head over soon to check out all the improvements!

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Trueblood Walk

The third annual Terry Trueblood Fundraising Walk is scheduled Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area at 579 McCollister Blvd. to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research and for a special upkeep fund for the park. Trueblood was the City’s Parks and Recreation Director from 1986 to 2009.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. at Shelter #2, with the walk scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Entry fee is $25 per person. Register at: www.active.com/iowa-city-ia/walking/races/terry-trueblood-walk-for-pancreatic-cancer-2015?int= or at the check-in desk at 8 a.m. on the day of the event.

Our thanks to this year's event sponsors for their support: Neumann Monson, Inc., Iowa City Landscaping & Garden Center, Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, Shoemaker & Haaland Professional Engineers, and University of Iowa Community Credit Union.

For more information, call 319-356-5100.

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Youth fall sports

Youth sports

As summer begins to wind down, it’s time to turn attention to Iowa City youth fall sports programs. The Iowa City Recreation Division offers a variety of individual and team sports programming, providing kids of all ages the opportunity to build skills and sportsmanship, stay active, and make new friends.

Youth Football: This program will now be handled by The RedZone, a youth fall football league for players in first through sixth grade. The league includes three divisions: 1st - 2nd grade, 3rd - 4th grade, and 5th - 6th grade. To register, or for more information, visit www.redzoneleague.com. Registration deadline is August 7.

Fall Girls’ Softball: Registration is already underway for four softball divisions: Under 10 years of age (or U10), U12, U14, and U16. The deadline to register your team is Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center Information Desk. Team rosters are not required at the time of registration. For more information on girls’ softball, see https://icgov.org/news/team-registration-underway-iowa-city-girls-fall-softball-league or contact Jeff Sears, Sports Supervisor, at 319-356-5034 or jeff-sears@iowa-city.org.

Other programs: Online registration for the following Iowa City Recreation Division sports programs begins Aug. 12 through ActiveNet at www.icgov.org/pr:

3 on 3 Basketball (preschool and kindergarten)

3 on 3 Basketball (grades 1-6)

Flag Football (ages 5-6)

Rollerskating (ages 8-12)

Skateboarding (ages 6-12)

Soccer (preschoolers)

Taekwondo (ages 6-18)

Tennis (ages 5-12)

Volleyball (grades 1-6)

For more information on these youth sports programs, visit www.icgov.org/youthsportinfo or call Mercer / Scanlon at 319-356-5109.

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Taste of Market

Taste of Market

Make plans to join us Wednesday, Sept. 2 for the annual Taste of Market at the Iowa City Farmers Market at Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp across from City Hall. This event, one of the Market’s most popular each year, is co-sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department and the University of Iowa Community Credit Union.

Volunteers and Farmers Market staff will be slicing, dicing and grilling up samples from a variety of vendors for you to sample -- at no charge! The event will run from 5 to 7 p.m., but you'll want to get there early because the food goes fast!

Kids’ Day is also scheduled next month, on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. More information to come.

When are the Iowa City Farmers Markets? Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon at Chauncey Swan Ramp, and every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at Mercer Park, 1317 Dover Street.

For more information about the markets, contact Cassidy Bell at 319-321-1958 or
cassidy.theavacentre@gmail.com.

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Sign up, golfers!

For the second year in a row, the Parks and Recreation Department is asking golfers to hit the fairways to help raise funds for a different recreation program -- swimming lessons. The Golf Fundraiser helps raise money for swim scholarships to ensure that all local kids who want to learn to swim are able to, regardless of their family’s ability to pay for lessons.

The event is scheduled Friday, Sept. 11 at Pleasant Valley Golf Course, 4390 Sand Road SE in Iowa City. Fees are $60 per person or $200 per foursome, which includes green fees and a box lunch. Tee times start at 11 a.m.

Several sponsorships are still available for this event. Help support this program and market your business, organization, service or product by being an event sponsor! Our thanks to Watts Group for generously offering to serve as our Title Sponsor this year.

To register ­-- either as a sponsor or a participant -- visit www.planmygolfevent.com/27722-ICPRgolf. For more information, contact Aquatic Supervisor Matthew Eckhardt at 319-887-6117 or matthew-eckhardt@iowa-city.org.