|
NEIGHBORHOOD
ANNOUNCEMENTS ARCHIVE PAGE.
COUNTY RESPONSE
TO DES MOINES
REGISTER ARTICLE
ON JUNE 17, 2018
From: Tom
Hockensmith <Tom.Hockensmith@polkcountyiowa.gov>
Date: June 19,
2018 at 2:23:31
PM CDT
Subject:
Response to Des
Moines Register
Coverage
Dear
Constituents
and
Stakeholders,
It was
surprising
and
disappointing
to read a
Des Moines
Register
article on
June 17,
2018, about
the Polk
County Board
of
Supervisors
approving a
proposal to
fund
computers,
smart
boards, and
iPads for
nine
parochial
schools.
Reading the
article, the
decision
appears to
have been
against
state law,
county
policy, all
under a
cloak of
secrecy.
Nothing
could be
further from
the truth.
In fact, we
shared the
factual and
comprehensive
information
about our
decision
with the
reporter but
the
information
was not
included in
the article.
Therefore,
we want to
provide this
overview so
as
taxpayers,
voters,
parents, and
members of
this
community,
have a full
understanding
of our
decision
making.
Since Polk
County owns
the land
that Prairie
Meadows
Racetrack &
Casino
operates on,
we receive
approximately
$26 million
per year in
lease
payments and
revenue
sharing.
This revenue
is used to
pay the debt
on the Iowa
Events
Center,
provide
unrestricted
funding to
the metro
public
school
districts,
and support
various
municipalities.
Individual
grants are
also
approved for
a variety of
projects.
In 2012,
Iowa law and
our own
policy
stated that
we could not
directly
give money
to
religious-affiliated
groups such
as schools.
This was
problematic
for all of
the
Supervisors,
many of whom
felt the
regulations
were
discriminatory
against
parochial
students and
parents.
The spirit
of state law
prohibiting
government
funding to
religious
entities is
to avoid
using public
funds to
promote or
advance
religious
ideas. We
agree with
this ethic.
However, we
also wanted
to help our
taxpaying
constituents
using the
parochial
elementary
schools with
a
much-needed
technology
upgrade.
The only way
for the
religious
schools to
receive
money was
for a
private
non-profit
organization
to apply for
a grant. The
grant, made
to a third
party
nonprofit,
Education
for the 21st
Century, was
narrowly
defined for
technology
equipment.
The County
Attorney’s
office
advised us
then, and
advises us
now, this is
a legal use
of grant
money. We
believe we
were
complying
with the
spirit of
state law
while being
able to help
meet the
needs of
students in
all our
schools.
The Polk
County Board
of
Supervisors
discussed
and approved
this matter
on March 27,
2012 and
again on
October 15,
2013. The
minutes and
audio
recordings
of the Board
of
Supervisors
are
available on
our website.
Today, no
separate
non-profit
entity is
required in
order to
give money
to religious
institutions.
The 2017
U.S. Supreme
Court ruling
in Trinity
Lutheran
Church of
Columbia,
Inc. v.
Comer has
allowed
governmental
organizations
to offer
direct grant
funding to
religious
organizations.
In short,
the U.S.
Supreme
Court ruled
the prior
practice was
discriminatory.
The Des
Moines
Register
appears to
make the
case that
money given
to the
parochial
schools
shortchanged
the public
schools.
However, the
numbers
simply tell
a much
different
story. Since
2007, public
schools in
our county
have
received
approximately
$11,807,963
from Polk
County and
Prairie
Meadows
while the
parochial
schools have
received
$844,000 for
the same
time period.
All the
funds to the
religious
schools were
restricted
while all of
the money
given to the
public
schools is
unrestricted
- meaning
the local
schools can
decide how
the money is
used.
Additionally,
over
$3,184,330
was provided
to the
public
schools in
the form of
Polk County
grants to be
used for
specific
activities
and purposes
since 2007.
The Board of
Supervisors
are proud of
the
contributions
that have
been made to
our public
schools. And
we believe
the intent
of the
grants made
to parochial
schools in
2012 and
2013 was
done in the
spirit of
ensuring all
our children
in our
community
have access
to current
technology.
At the end
of the day,
the Board of
Supervisors
is proud of
the
contributions
that have
been made to
our public
schools, as
well as the
many
organizations
that apply
for grants.
And that is
the reason
why we have
joined with
Prairie
Meadows and
hired a
local public
relations
firm to
showcase how
these funds
are being
used to
improve and
enhance our
county and
our
community
members.
We work hard
to ensure
that we are
good
stewards of
public
funds, to
follow the
law and to
be inclusive
and
thoughtful
as we make
decisions
that impact
the
community.
Through our
partnership
with Prairie
Meadows, we
look forward
to
continuing
to
positively
impact our
community in
the years to
come.
Respectfully,
Tom
Hockensmith
4th District
Supervisor
Polk County
Board of
Supervisors
111 Court
Avenue, Room
300
Des Moines,
Iowa 50309
515-286-3120
- Office
515-323-5225
– Fax
|
Neighborhood Finance Corporation |
|
Douglas Acres Lending Activity |
|
9/1/06–9/30/08 |
|
---------- |
|
Purchase, including 20% 2nds |
|
|
# |
$
Lent |
$
Forgivable |
|
80% 1sts |
7 |
$642,908 |
$84,500 |
|
20% 2nds |
3 |
$60,734 |
|
|
Total |
10 |
$703,642 |
$84,500 |
|
---------- |
|
Home
Improvement |
|
|
# |
$
Lent |
$
Forgivable |
|
|
6 |
$226,403
|
$42,266
|
|
Total |
6 |
$226,403 |
$42,266 |
|
Grand
Total: |
16 |
$930,045 |
$126,766 |
Do you know of someone, or are you, having
difficulty making their mortgage payments? If so,
NFC's Rescue and Repair Refinance (R3) loan could
help. This loan offers customers the opportunity to
refinance out of their current higher interest rate
mortgage loan(s) to a more affordable loan.
Plus, the customer can earn your way to an even
better rate over the next two years. And, the loan
includes up to $10,000 forgivable subsidy for
property repairs. Please email or call one of our
loan originators for details.
Neighborhood Finance
Corporation (NFC) currently has a staff of 12, and
shares a property inspector with the City of Des
Moines. NFC's address is 1912 Sixth Avenue, Des
Moines, IA 50314. We are located one block south of
the 6th & Hickman intersection.
To reach any of the following staff members, call
288-5626 (that's 288-LOAN) and dial their
extension.
Our fax number is 246-0112.
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STREET AND SIDEWALK REPAIRS IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD
The City of Des Moines
through the Neighborhood Infrastructure
Rehabilitation Program (NIRP) spent a total of
$822,960 to repair streets and sidewalks in the
Douglas Acres Neighborhood during the summer of
2009. That total includes $588,220 for streets (16
projects) and $234,740 for sidewalk replacement
(11,737 linear feet). NIRP has significantly
improved our neighborhood infrastructure, and we
thank the City of Des Moines.
|
Hello Neighbors!
Polk County Health Department
officials want people to take the proper precautions
in returning to their homes after recent flooding.
"People in the community who were affected by the
flood have been through enough. We want to avoid
further suffering by preventing injury or illness
when trying to recover their homes," said Terri
Henkels, Polk County Health Department Director.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
provided the Polk County Health Department with
copies of two cleanup guides, "Flood Cleanup and the
Air in Your Home" and "A Brief Guide to Mold,
Moisture, and Your Home." The Polk County Health
Department urges residents to visit the Health
Department at 1907 Carpenter Ave to pick up a guide
before attempting to clean flood damaged homes. The
guides are also available online at
www.polkcountyiowa.gov.
Thank you!
Sarah M. Tompkins
Community Health Educator
Polk County Health Department
stompki@co.polk.ia.us
515-286-3895
1907 Carpenter Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50314 |
|
The City of Des Moines, through its Archie
Brooks, Forest Avenue, and Logan Community
Services Neighborhood site offices, is
beginning to plan for the holiday season by
calling on you for your support.
Last year, through the generous support and
participation of local schools, businesses,
and organizations like yours, over 1,000
low-income Des Moines families received a
Holiday Food Basket. The food baskets help
these families enjoy a traditional holiday
dinner and provide some other non-perishable
food items for the holiday season. Families
receive a box of nonperishable
food and a $15.00 food certificate to
purchase the meat and produce of their
choice.
This year we again hope to brighten the
holiday season for 1,000 families in Des
Moines. Together we can make this project
possible.
We encourage you to participate in the
Holiday Food Project by:
1)
Conducting a food drive for non-perishable
food items such as cereals, vegetables,
fruits, soups, Jello, pasta, instant
potatoes, rice, stuffing, etc.
2)
Making a cash or check donation toward the
purchase of $15.00 food certificates for
participating families. Send donations to:
City of Des Moines Holliday Food Project
c/o Community Development Dept
602 Robert D. Ray Drive
Des Moines, IA 50309
3)
Helping assemble and/or distribute food
baskets.
We would like to pick up food donations this
year according to the following schedule:
Dec
3 Principal Companies
Dec 4-5 West Metro Area, south of
University
Dec 5-6 North Metro Area, north of
University
Dec 7-8 South Metro Area
Dec 10-11 East Metro Area
For more information, contact the Community
Services Division at 283-4180 |
|
Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department
announces two grant opportunities for groups
interested in beautifying the public spaces
in their neighborhood. Funds are available
for perennial plantings on City, State, or
School property through the Lillian Swartzel
Perennial Planting program. A total of $8000
is available for planting projects.
Streetscape improvements that build
neighborhood cohesion, have high pubic
visibility, improve the environment and are
located on City of Des Moines property will
be funded through the new Neighborhood
Streetscape Grant Program. A total of
$25,000 is available for streetscape
projects. There is no minimum or maximum
amount that can be requested. Grant
guidelines and applications can be found on
the department website at
www.dmparks.org. Applications are
due on November 16th.
For more information, please contact:
Teva Dawson
Des Moines
Parks and Recreation Dept
2501 SE Maury
Des Moines, IA 50317
Phone: 515-323-8907
Cell: 515-208-0308
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Cleaning Your Garage Can Build
Homes in Greater Des Moines
If a recycling program were
as easy as cleaning out your
garage, would you be
interested?
Greater Des
Moines Habitat for Humanity
ReStore can help
your community recycle new
and gently used materials
left over or recovered from
home improvement projects.
At no charge, you can drop
off items or call to see if
we can schedule an item
pickup.
By donating materials to ReStore,
you help the environment and
local community in multiple
ways:
·
First, you divert tons of
materials from Iowa landfills. In the last fiscal year, over
800 tons of materials were
diverted from landfills through
the
ReStore.
·
Secondly, you are recycling
perfectly good materials back
into the community. Multiple
Iowans benefit from purchasing
discounted home improvement
materials, including some who
could not otherwise afford to do
home renovations.
·
And finally, you benefit the
mission of the Greater Des
Moines Habitat for Humanity, who
partners with the community to
make home ownership possible for
low-income, working families.
In 2006, Habitat community
partnerships enabled 13 families
to purchase homes for the value
of materials. There are plans
for 17 homes in 2007!
By letting
ReStore have your
unwanted materials, you can
clean out your storage space,
help our environment and help
our community. We hope you will
consider partnering with us!
Greater Des Moines Habitat for
Humanity
ReStore
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: TUESDAY –
FRIDAY 10am-6pm; SATURDAY
8am-4pm
2341 2nd Ave.,
Des Moines
(2nd & Holcomb, Just
east of North High School)
515-309-0224
www.dmhabitatrestore.org
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|
NEW
COUNTY PROGRAM
Hello. I
would like to introduce all of you to a
program offered by Polk County that many of
you may not be aware of. It is called
the Polk County Citizen's Academy. The
Citizen's Academy came about as a result of
a 2003 citizen survey which showed that many
people were confused or entirely unaware of
Polk County's responsibilities and services.
The Academy's primary objective is to
educate citizens about the services offered
by Polk County Government. The classes
involve elected officials, department heads,
county employees, and most importantly
citizens.
The Academy is designed to raise citizen
awareness of services and facilities
provided by Polk County and enhance and
strengthen partnership with the community.
Polk County needs the assistance and support
of the community in order to provide the
most effective and efficient services
possible, which is where you come in.
Polk County is currently accepting
applications for the 2007 Citizen's Academy.
Attached is information and an application.
Please make copies and share this with your
neighborhood members. The first
session of the 2007 academy is scheduled to
being on September 11, 2007. We will
be accepting applications through July 16,
2007.
If you have any questions regarding the Polk
County Citizen's Academy, please feel free
to contact me at 286-3120.
Sincerely,
Paulette Stodgel
Administrative Secretary
Polk County Board of Supervisors
Phone: 515-286-3121
Fax: 515-323-5225
Web:
www.co.polk.ia.us |
|
 Happy
Holidays From The Des Moines Police Department!
Seasonal Crime
Prevention Tips
During the year-end holidays,
people are often busy, excited and sometimes a
little bit careless. The following holiday crime
prevention tips should be shared with others:
At Home:
- Be extra cautious about
locking doors and windows when you leave your
house or apartment, even for a few minutes.
- Lock garage doors and
windows.
- Don’t display holiday gifts
where they can be seen from a window or doorway.
Store gifts before you go away on a holiday
trip.
- If you go out, turn on lights
and a radio or television so the house or
apartment appears occupied.
- If you are leaving for an
extended period of time have some interior
lights and a radio activated by a timer. Have a
neighbor or family member watch your house,
shovel new snow, pick up the mail, and newspaper
and park a vehicle in your driveway from time to
time.
- Mark your property with a
unique identification number and keep a home
inventory list of major personal possessions
- including
respective serial numbers.
- Be wary of strangers
soliciting for charitable donations. They may
attempt to take advantage of people’s generosity
during the holidays. Ask for identification, how
donated funds are used, and if contributions are
tax deductible. Check with the Iowa Attorney
General’s Office, Consumer Protection Division,
before giving. If you are not satisfied with the
answers don’t give.
- After the holidays don’t
forget to add any new possessions to your home
inventory.
- Test your smoke detectors.
- Use only fire resistant
ornaments on holiday decorations, make sure
lights are in good working order and keep live
trees watered. Don’t leave holiday lights on all
continuously or when you are away from home.
- Avoid leaving boxes from
purchases out on the curb, in plain site, for
trash pick up (especially TVs, computers, and
other new electronic items).
Shopping:
- Shop before dark, if
possible. Possibly coordinate shopping trips
with a friend. Never park in an unlit lot or
area, no matter how convenient it is.
- Lock your purchases in your
trunk in order to keep them out of plain site,
if possible. Keep your doors locked and windows
closed.
- Avoid carrying large amounts
of cash. Pay for purchases with a check, credit
card, or debit card whenever possible.
- To discourage
purse-snatchers, don’t overburden yourself with
packages.
- Be extra careful with purses
and wallets. Carry a purse under your arm. Keep
a wallet in an inside jacket pocket, not a back
trouser pocket.
- Teach children to go to a
store clerk or security guard and ask for help
if they become separated from the adult they are
with. Children should never go into a parking
lot to look for the adult they are separated
from.
Holiday Parties:
Have non-alcoholic beverages
available for party guests.
Don’t let guests drink and
drive.
In addition
to these crime
prevention tips, be aware of a
scam artist coming to your doors or
approaching you asking for money. Again this
year, we have received complaints of a black
male in his 50s, with his two front teeth
missing, knocking on doors asking for a loan. He
tells individuals that his car is broke down or
his wife is pregnant and needs a ride to the
hospital. Don't fall prey to these scams.
We would encourage you to call DMPD
at 283-4811. He is known by the police
and has been working the East side but is known
to travel throughout the city.
Sergeant Larry Davey
Senior Police Officer Larry D. Rogers
Senior Police Officer Kelly Fisher
Neighborhood Area Resource Coordinator's Office
Des Moines Police Department
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Sargent Park
Improvements Funding
is currently available to implement the first phase of the
improvements shown in the Master Plan for Sargent Park. These
improvements will include an open-air shelter, a permanent
(running water) restroom with drinking fountain, and a new parking
lot all on the west side of Four Mile Creek. We are
currently starting the design phase and expect to complete the
final construction documents over the winter. The project
should go out to bid early next year with construction starting
sometime next spring. If all goes well, the new improvements
should be complete by mid summer.
If you have any questions/comments about this or anything else in
the park, please feel free to contact me.
Larry F. Edris
Park Planner
Des Moines Park & Rec.
Phone: 248-6355
Cell: 208-0344
Fax: 263-8713
e-mail: lfedris@dmgov.org |
|
CONSUMER ADVISORY April 2005 By Attorney
General Tom Miller
Prevent Home Repair
Scams and Disputes
Spring is prime time for home repairs -- and that makes it prime
time for outright scams or frustrating disputes. You can
take action to avoid both problems. Home repair scams by traveling
con-artists work like this: Con-artists stop at your door, give
you a hard sell, and offer sensational low prices. It might
be for roofing or painting, tree-trimming, or asphalting your
driveway. The con-artists insist that you pay in advance --
but they do little or no work and never return. Remember,
legitimate contractors very rarely solicit door-to-door. Be skeptical.
The main rules are to check out a contractor, and never pay large
sums in advance to a contractor you don't know. Help
older neighbors who might be pressured or intimidated into paying
traveling con-artists.
A few 'bad-apple' local contractors also take large advance
payments but fail to do the work, or do just part of a job or very
shoddy work. This is hard to prove as fraud, but it's costly
and frustrating. Follow these tips to protect yourself when
you hire a contractor:
* Beware of high-pressure sales tactics such as
"today-only" discounts, offers to use your home as
a "display home" for replacement siding or
windows, and "lifetime warranty" offers that only last
for the life of the company. Always get several written
estimates -- shop around for the best deal before making such a
large investment.
* Check out a contractor before you
sign a contract or pay any money. Request local references
-- and check them out. Contact the Attorney General's Office
to see if it has complaints (call 515-281-5926, or 888-777-4590.)
Contact the Better Business Bureau (515-243-8137, or www.bbb.org.) Contact your county
clerk of court and ask how to check if a contractor has been sued
by unsatisfied customers.
* Ask for a copy of the contractor's liability
insurance certificate. Put start and completion dates in writing,
and consequences if the contractor fails to meet them.
(Example: the contract could be nullified if the contractor doesn't start on time.) If
you sign a contract at your home, in most cases you have three
business days to cancel.
* Avoid paying large sums in advance if you don't know the
contractor. If you have to make a partial advance payment for
materials, make your check out to the supplier and the contractor.
Insist on a "mechanic's lien waiver" in case the
contractor fails to pay others for materials or labor.
For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Attorney
General's
Consumer Protection Division, Des Moines, Iowa 50319.
Call 515-281-5926, or toll-free at 888-777-4590.
The web site is: www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org.
Consumer Protection Division * Hoover Building * Des Moines, Iowa
50319
515/281-5926
|
|
Guard
Your Bank Accounts!
Keep your account information to yourself --
and examine bank statements and other accounts every month.
Nowadays there is a much higher volume of electronic fund
transfers of various kinds -- including by con-artists who use
lots of schemes to make unauthorized debits straight from people's
accounts. Schemes often use trickery to get so-called
"authorization" from victims to make withdrawals
-- or they may make a debit with no permission at all.
People often have pay-checks or government
checks deposited
automatically, or legitimate payments withdrawn electronically for
their mortgage, car loan or utility bills. Here are tips to
prevent con-artists from making unauthorized debits to your bank
account:
• Protect your personal information.
Don't give your bank "info"
over the phone unless YOU made the call or you KNOW the company is
legitimate.
Con-artists love to use telephone solicitations
to trick you into
providing your bank account numbers. And they use lots of
stories to get you to "authorize" some kind of payment.
For example, callers might tout an appealing "free trial
offer" - but start making charges right away if you give your
account information. Or callers might say they need to
"verify" your account number "for security
reasons." Callers might try to sell you an advance-fee
credit card, "government-grant" information, or
discounts on prescription drugs. Or callers may claim you've
won a "lottery prize." The
Attorney General's Office is aware of many schemes that used
deceptive "pitches" like these.
• Examine your bank statement and other
accounts every single month. Look for unauthorized debits of
any kind -- on your bank account, your credit card bill, and even
your phone bill. A few minutes each month can avoid big
headaches.
• Complain to your bank or to the Attorney
General's Office.
Contact your bank immediately about any
unauthorized bank account debit. Ask the bank to stop
payment if possible, or to credit your account if a debit wasn't
authorized. (You likely will need to submit a sworn
statement to your bank that the debit was not authorized.)
If your bank does not or cannot help you, contact the Attorney
General. Contact your credit card or telephone company if
their bill contains unauthorized charges.
For more information or to file a complaint,
contact the Attorney
General's Consumer Protection Div., Des Moines, IA 50319.
Call
515-281-5926, or toll-free at 888-777-4590. Web: www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org
(click on protecting consumers.)
|
|
Dear
Neighbors,
Our
neighborhood faces a desperate situation. We once again face the
risk of losing our neighborhood school. Several years
ago the school district came to us and asked if we would like
Goodrell
Middle School
to become a
Traditional
School
. We were delighted and gave our support to the school becoming a
traditional style school. Shortly after that we discovered
that Goodrell was no longer a neighborhood school but rather a
magnet school and the children in the neighborhood would be
assigned to whatever school could accommodate them, and only by
application could they attend Goodrell. We have had and
continue to have families leave the area because of the lack of a
neighborhood middle school.
Several
years prior to that the school district changed our boundaries so
the neighborhood children would attend North High rather than East
High. At that time several families moved out of the
neighborhood because they wanted their children to attend
East High.
Two
years ago the school district sent home letters with the
elementary students saying the parents would be given the
opportunity to "vote" as to whether or not they wanted
Adams to merge with Garton. The teachers at the school
alerted the neighborhood as to what was happening and asked
that we attend the meetings. At the meetings the
neighborhood attendees were asked to leave as we were told this
was a meeting for parents only. We objected and only after
much turmoil were we allowed to stay and attend future meetings.
Meeting dates and times were announced only to be changed without
any notice given to the neighborhood. When it was clear to
the school district the majority of citizens in the area did not
want to merge, no more meetings were scheduled.
On
July 12, the School Board will decide whether to close
Adams
Elementary School
. What happens to a neighborhood affects the whole city, and the
East side is being left out, ignored, and insulted by the school
district. At the school board meeting on June 21 Mr.
Roeder said the East side should be happy as they have a new
East
High School
and will have a new
Goodrell
Middle School
. Our neighborhood children cannot attend
East
High School
as North High is their home school, and may attend
Goodrell
Middle School
only if their application is accepted. The school board is making
decisions without knowing where we even live. Other school
board members at the meeting did not even take the time or care to
point out to Mr. Roeder how wrong he was and that neither East or
Goodrell were our children's home school.
I
am asking each and every person in the neighborhood to contact
their elected officials (names, addresses, and phone numbers
attached) and ask them for their help.
Ask them to talk to the school board members individually
and let them know how important our schools are.
We hold a lot of power in this neighborhood and we have a
very strong voting record. We
will only re-elect those individuals that listen to us.
I
apologize for such a lengthy letter, but I thought that a little
background information would be helpful to those who have not been
involved in this issue.
To summarize, I am making 2 urgent requests:
1) All concerned citizens are asked to attend the town hall
meeting on July 6 at the
Botanical
Center
2) Please contact your elected officials to ask for their help in
keeping
Adams
Elementary School
open.
Respectfully,
Linda
Westergaard, President
Douglas
Acres Neighborhood Association
515-453-7339
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Help the Des Moines Parks Department Monitor our
Precious Water Resources
The Des Moines Park and Recreation Department is the steward
for a number of water bodies in the City of Des Moines.
With a growing concern for water quality in the state of
Iowa, the Des Moines Park and Recreation Department wants to
be proactive and begin to investigate what we can do to be
better stewards of our parkland with one goal being
improving water quality. The City of Des Moines Parks
Department is the only city parks department in the state
developing a comprehensive water quality assessment plan.
>The goals of the water quality assessment plan are to:
* better understand the current health of our water bodies
* establish benchmark data to monitor the health over time
* begin to identify alternative management strategies to
improve the quality of our water bodies
* bring back fishing and other water activities in our
neighborhood ponds and creeks
We are seeking the help of volunteers to begin monthly
monitoring of a specific water site in Des Moines (see list
below). It's an opportunity for neighbors to build a
relationship with a body of water in their area. Volunteers
will test various chemical attributes such as nitrates,
phosphorus, and chloride; measure physical features such as
temperature and transparency of the water; assess stream
habitat and even evaluate biological health by hunting for
little critters called macro invertebrates.
We are partnering up with IOWATER, the DNR's volunteer water
quality monitoring program and the Polk County Snapshot.
Volunteers need to have attended the IOWATER Level I
workshop. Information about IOWATER and upcoming workshops
schedule can be found at www.iowater.net. Testing supplies
and data collection is coordinated through IOWATER.
Volunteers will run a number of tests including testing for
pH, phosphate, nitrates, temperature, transparency, and
chloride. The DNR will help the Parks Department analyze
the data on a semi-annual basis and make recommendations for
changes in the management of our water bodies.
To sign up for monthly monitoring, contact Teva Dawson
(contact information below) with the Des Moines Park and
Recreation Department. A park staff person will following
up with more specific instructions for each site and will
conduct the initial visit with each volunteer.
Sites in Des Moines:
West
Waveland Golf Course pond - 49th south of University
Waveland Creek - Pleasant Drive
Glendale Cemetery pond - 49th north University
Greenwood Park pond - 45th south of Grand
Witmer Park pond - 34th & Witmer
North
Birdland Lagoon - by the marina on Penn
Spring Creek - in Chautauqua Park Neighborhood, south of
Hickman, east of 6th Ave.
East
Grandview Golf Course pond - Guthrie, east of E29th
Sargents Park - 4-Mile Creek - East Douglas and Colfax
Avenue
4-mile Creek - Easton Blvd at bike trail head
South
MacRae Park pond - SW 9th & Bell
Gray's Lake
Great Western Trail - Frank Creek
Harmon Park creek - SW26th & Watrous
Southeast
Ewing Park- pond and Yeader Creek - Indianola Road Dean's
Lake at E25th at Maury
Case Lake at Cownie Soccer
Teva Dawson
Horticulture Inspector
Des Moines Park and Recreation Department
3226 University Avenue
Des Moines IA 50311
Phone: 515/323-8907
Cell: 515/208-0308
Fax: 515/237-1407
www.dmparks.org |
CONSUMER ADVISORY
July 2006
Beware of "Free Trial Offers"
Study your billing statements for unauthorized charges.
Some consumers are being charged for products or services
and
don't even know it. This happens especially when consumers
receive "free
trial offers" for buying club memberships, travel clubs, or
"credit card
protection plans" -- and then are charged automatically on
their credit
cards or bank accounts when the free trial period ends.
Consumers often are surprised when - and if - they discover
the
unexpected bill. The problem seems to stem from two things:
First,
consumers may not realize a seller already has the key
information to
bill their credit card or checking account. Second, some
sellers use
questionable tactics to try to shift the burden onto the
consumer to
cancel.
If you don't cancel within the "free trial offer period"
(usually
30 days), your credit card will be charged the monthly or
annual
membership fee, possibly as much as $100 or more. And you
may be charged
repeatedly every month or every year if you don't cancel.
"Free trial offers" may come in several ways: On the phone:
You may order a product or ticket, or make a hotel or car
reservation -
and then the telemarketer may ask you to consider a "free
trial offer"
membership. In mailings: For example, a bank statement may
include a
check made payable to you for a small amount (say, $10 or
$15) -- with
small type on the back of the check telling you that if you
cash the
check you'll be joining a buying club. Over the Internet:
You may order
something over the Internet and receive a "pop-up" ad on
your computer
screen with the "free trial offer."
Remember, sellers may already have access to charge your
credit
card or checking account -- and they will bill you after the
free trial
period without further approval from you. They count on you
forgetting,
not noticing the billings, or not noticing if they send you
a mail notice
that you discard as "junk mail." And some unscrupulous
sellers may start
billing you even if you decline the free trial offer!
Don't be trapped by "free trial offers":
∙ Reject a free trial offer unless you are absolutely sure
it is
something you will use. Make it very clear to the solicitor
that you
are declining the offer. Beware of cashing a check that
comes in the
mail with a free trial offer.
∙ Examine your credit card bill every month, and your
checking
account and phone bills, too. Watch for unauthorized charges
-- and
dispute them at once, in writing.
∙ Watch your mail carefully. (Some cancellation notices look
like
junk mail.)
Contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Div., D.M.,
IA
50319. Call 281-5926 or 888-777-4590 (toll-free.) The web
site is
www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org. |
|
 East
Side
Library Renovation On Schedule
Folks on the east side of Des Moines can
look forward to the re-opening this summer of
the newly renovated East Side Library located at
2559 Hubbell Avenue,
designed by OPN Architects, Brian Lane, project
manager.
“Construction continues to be on schedule and
library customers will find some wonderful
improvements.” according to Kevin
Kain, The Weitz Company Project Engineer.
The doors will CLOSE at the temporary
location at
the Douglas Elementary School on July 1 at 5:00 PM. A
Grand RE-OPENING Celebration is planned for
Saturday, August 12, at 9:30 AM! We invite
the public to stop at the dedication on the
way to a day at the Iowa State Fair !
Popular children’s entertainer James Coffey will
present a free family concert at 10:30 AM.
Library customers will soon be able to
enjoy a cozy fireplace reading area, a new teen
center, and a fanciful children’s spot complete
with a fun slide and tunnel! The East Side
Library renovation has added space, a new
community meeting room, a brand
new
entrance gallery
and library interior as well as growth in both
the print and electronic collections.
The new building will be 15,200 square feet
compared to the old building which was 9,000
square feet. The
East Side Library renovation project is budgeted
at $2.9 million. It is part of the library’s
$48 million, ten-year public/private partnership
to enhance the entire library system.
While the East Side Library is closed,
customers are encouraged to visit and return
books to any of the library’s other locations.
For more information, call 283-4152 or visit
www.desmoineslibrary.com
For more
information, call Jan Kaiser
Des Moines Public Library 283 4103.
1000 Grand Ave,
Des Moines, Iowa
50309-3027
515.283.4152 FAX: 515.237.1654
www.desmoineslibrary.com
Kay K. Runge, Director
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