April 13-17
Winterset Parks & Recreation

Winterset Parks & Recreation Department is really doing a great job of providing fun, community-building activities for us during this strange time. Next week, they’ve organized a Spirit Week! Don’t forget to post your pictures or videos on the Facebook event page. Come on mom and dad join in the fun by playing along!! If you are brave enough, let your child/children dress you in the theme for the day!!! Include the hash tags #WPRDSpiritWeek #InItTogether when you post on Facebook.

Here are the themes for today and tomorrow:

Thankful Thursday
Not a dress up day but a day to post pictures and videos of what you are thankful for!

Farm Friday
Dress like a farmer or your favorite farm animal

Welcome to Winterset, Sky!

Sky Smothers begins tenure as Director of Winterset Parks & Recreation Department

Last week, John Pletchette retired after serving 37 years as the director for the WPRD. This week, we’re happy to welcome the new director, Sky Smothers.

Sky is originally from Newton, IA. Sky formerly served as the Recreation Manager for Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation in South Dakota and is excited to carry on enhancing the quality of life for those who reside and visit the Winterset area. Sky, wife Erica, and sons Brock (3) and Blake (1) are excited to be closer to family and friends. He can be reached at ssmothers@cwmu.net or 515-462-3258.

Grab & Go Lunches

Mon, Wed & Fridays • 10:30 am – noon
Winterset Elementary

LUNCHTIME!!!

Grab & Go Lunches at Winterset Elementary will continue through the school shutdown—every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 am – noon!

Spring Scavenger Hunt

Madison County Conservation Board

Take the kids to your favorite Madison County Park this week to see how many signs of spring they can find. Can’t get to a park? No problem. Your kids can find most of these things in their own backyard!

For a printable version of the scavenger hunt, click on this link!

Take the kids to your favorite Madison County Park this week to see how many signs of spring they can find. Can’t get to a park? No problem. Your kids can find most of these things in their own backyard!For a printable version of the scavenger hunt, click on this link: YES, all of our parks are open for public use. The Governor’s proclamation yesterday specifically addressed campgrounds, cabins and playgrounds. In addition to the Governor’s proclamation, Madison County Park system has also closed all of our bathrooms. All public and private campgrounds are closed in Iowa, but the State Parks, County Parks and Municipal parks remain open. With that said, in order for us to keep our parks open PLEASE adhere to the physical distancing requirements and group size limitation of 10. ALL of our Madison County Parks are enjoying the busiest use we have ever seen. Not in total numbers, but in the fact that EVERY PARK is seeing public activity – not just our normally high use areas. Also most folks using our parks are enjoying the simple pleasures of passive recreation such as hiking, small picnic lunches and sometimes just “sitting on a log”. We are literally seeing our society re-discover the therapeutic value of nature and the outdoors – something we’ve been preaching for years. Hopefully this is a habit that sticks around long after COVID-19 runs its course.

How YOU Can Help (and who)

Donations appreciated at Care Center North

• Gloves, gowns, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes and safety-style protective eye wear.
• Homemade masks per CDC guidelines which can be found on Google with patterns.
• Outside entertainment the residents can view or hear through room windows such as singers, musicians, mimes, gymnasts, etc.
• In-room entertainment: VHS, DVD players and movies, remote control cars, Wii and Wii games (as well as xbox, play station, etc), CD players and CD’s, Boomboxes with cassettes
• Adult coloring books with colored pencils or gel pens
• Stationery and plain paper
• Paint-by-number, watercolors with paper, pencils and sketch pads
• Craft items for individual crafts
• Lego kits
• Old magazines
• Hanging flowers or birdhouses on shepherd hooks
• Unwanted electronic tablets-especially for video chat with loved ones (they can connect through WiFi) or unwanted laptops
• Offers to reminisce with residents by video chat; especially for those who do not have family members.

Each month, Hy-Vee selects a local non-profit to receive $1.00 from the $2.50 purchase price of their study, plastic reusable bags. In order to continue to support the necessary and important work that non-profits are doing in our community, their “Bags for a Cause” program will continue, despite the coronavirus outbreak. They have chosen the Friends of the Winterset Public Library as that non-profit for the month of April.

The Friends of the Winterset Public Library organization’s mission is to support the collections and outreach of the Winterset Public Library. Their activities include the purchase of the lot east of the Library so a parking lot could be built, funding the Book Nook shelters between the Library and Monumental Park, the annual Summer Reading Program for children and adults, plus the Friend’s semi-annual Book Sales (see you in the fall, maybe.)

Hy-Vee recognizes non-profit organizations are more important than ever to help strengthen our community. Even though reusable bags from home are currently banned for reuse while shopping at Hy-Vee, red “My Heart” Bags are still available for purchase in the store. If you visit the Winterset Hy-Vee, buying a red “My Heart” Bag supports our local community and the environment. Your “Friends” thank you!