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Community News & Interests
Vacation Plans?
• Thinking about a vacation? The Team Mahaska Recreation page has a couple links allowing you to get information and reserve spots not only in Iowa's parks but all over the United States. Just two clicks away: "Recreation" then "Campsite and Recreation Reservations."
• Another great web site for vacation planners is BreezeNet where airfares and car rental rates can be compared.
• Free Wireless When You Travel Iowa —  The Iowa Department of Transportation has reported there is now free wireless
Internet service available at all 39 rest areas and 7 welcome centers along
Iowa's interstate highways. I Spot Networks of Des Moines installed and
will manage the network, which is being provided at no cost to taxpayers,
state officials have said. Use of the system requires a wireless-enable
device, such as a laptop computer computer, personal digital assistant or
cell phone that uses the 802.1lb networking standard, state officials said.
Hotlines Link Public with Resources, Answers
Legal and gambling questions; health, teen and family questions; federal aid, human service and agricultural questions: The Iowa Concern toll-free hotline is prepared for all these and more. Answers are one phone call away.
"We find a lot of people who say it's nice to have someone to talk to them," said Margaret Van Ginkel, director of Iowa Concern and other Iowa State University Extension hotlines. "When they call our lines they get a person instead of 'press one for this or two for that.'"
The 24-hour, seven day-a-week phone line began as Rural Concern during 1985 in the midst of the '80s farm crisis. With additional financial grants over the years, more lines have been added. Now the chief line is called Iowa Concern and includes a teen line, healthy families line, gambling line and Story County human services line.
Additionally, the lines have grown in breadth and reach since 1985. Van Ginkel has seen an increase in users over the years and believes it is the human approach that has allowed them to become reliable and preferred resources for Iowa citizens.
The main purpose of the anonymous hotlines is to connect people with information and resources. Drake law students and an attorney are prepared to answer all kinds of legal questions from divorce to taxes, while trained operators provide answers to other inquiries and link the caller with additional resources when needed.
"We don't do therapy over the phone, but we will hook up people with mental counselors if needed," Van Ginkel said. "If they have a legal question that they want some information on or if they need another opinion, want to find out a law or feel stressed, then those are the right reasons to call us."
Iowa Concern receives an average of 900 callers per month with a high percentage of the calls coming from the Des Moines area. These calls cover all topics and include but are not limited to legal, financial, mental, emotional and disaster areas. Additionally, there is a place on the Iowa Concern Web site that shares personal accounts of other Iowans receiving assistance.
Teenline is designed to help teenagers deal with health and emotional issues. A lot of calls in the past have been questions about eating disorders, relationships with friends and pregnancies, but the line is not limited to those topics. Teenline also welcomes questions on violence, relationships with parents, AIDS/HIV, alcohol or drug use, sexual relationships, stress and sexually transmitted diseases. Currently, Van Ginkel is working with school nurses to promote the Teenline in their schools and help market the available resource while increasing its use.
A part-time nurse helps answer health questions coming mainly from the Healthy Family Line, which include topics such as immunization, cancer, healthy living and more.
Lastly, the Bets Off line receives approximately 600 calls per month from people who are struggling with a gambling problem and need to be connected with a gambling counselor, while the 211 line offers simple contact information for services in Story County.
The lines also offer assistance to people with limited English speaking skills. A half-time employee speaks fluent Spanish, and the other operators have access to phones for translation into additional languages.
The toll-free numbers for the hotlines are
Iowa Concern: (800) 447-1985
Teenline: (800) 443-8336
Healthy Families: (800) 369-2229
Bets Off: (800) Bets off or (800) 238-7633
211: 211 (in the Story County area)
For more information and additional resources, visit the Iowa Concern Web site.
Students of "Store Mart" Ready To Tell Their Story
The Oskaloosa High School's alternative school recently moved to the former Webster Elementary building. As part of the move, Dana Hols, school of success teacher, established a hands on learning environment.
The students have opened a thrift store, Store Mart, inside Webster. The
thrift store provides a hands-on experience that is used to facilitate
learning. The students speak publicly about the store with service clubs
and organizations, they solicit businesses and citizens for items for
their store, and they run the store, including creating advertising and
store displays.
If you are a member of a service organization, a church or a business please
consider asking Dana's students to present to your group. The students will
explain what School Mart does and ask for donated items to be sold in School
Mart. The students accept most anything. One person's junk is School
Mart's treasure!
If you're looking for the perfect something feel free to stop by and shop.
The store is always open whenever school is in session and extra hours by
appointment.
For more information contact:
Dana Hols
School Of Success
508 South 7th
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
(641) 672-9605
Fax: 672-9606
holsd@oskaloosa.k12.ia.us
Iowa’s Grape and Wine Industry Provides Significant Economic Activity
 The growth of Iowa’s wine industry directly translates to new economic activity for Iowa’s rural economies, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Value Added Agriculture Program and the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute.
Winery respondents indicated estimated 2008 wine sales to be more than $22 million. Visitors to Iowa wineries during the past two years have totaled more than 400,000. Those visitors spend additional dollars in areas surrounding wineries, according to Craig Tordsen of the Value Added Agriculture Program at Iowa State University Extension.
"These numbers translate to increased economic activity for rural Iowa," Tordsen said. "The Midwest Grape and Wine Institute has been instrumental in boosting an industry from infancy to a thriving business in Iowa."
Iowa boasts 70 licensed wineries, up from just 18 in 2002. Records from the Iowa Alcohol and Beverage Division (IA ABD) for the fiscal year ending June 2007 showed Iowa wine sales of 256,000 gallons.
The Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute at Iowa State University was approved by the Iowa Board of Regents in September 2006. The institute is the first of its kind in Iowa and exists to serve Iowa grape producers and winemakers with research and education outreach.
For more information, please contact the Institute at www.extension.iastate.edu/wine or 515-294-3308 or jagregg@iastate.edu.
SHARE Iowa Food Packages for volunteers
Would you like to save money on groceries? Do you know someone who could benefit from stretching his or her food dollars? SHARE can offer you up to a 50% savings on nutritious food packages for just 2 hours of volunteer service each month. To find out more about SHARE check out our website www.shareiowa.com
92 East Underpass Trail Connection Complete
MCRF, and partners, have just completed construction beneath the roadway at the 92E underpass. This is another trail connection so that walkers and bicyclists do not have to cross into heavy traffic while on a trek around the community. MCRF hopes to continue trail additions and trail partners in the coming year. View pictures on our Recreation Trail page.
Don't Forget to Re-enroll
In 2003, the National Do Not Call Registry was established giving you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Once registered, most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. Registration is simple and can be done on-line (www.donotcall.gov) or through a toll-free phone call (888-382-1222). There is no charge to be placed on the Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which oversees the list, built a five-year expiration date into the program to account for changes such as people moving or switching phone numbers; so those who enrolled in 2003 will need to re-enroll in 2008. More information can be found on the Q&A page of the registry.
Update: According to the FTC an email currently circulating and claiming your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls because of a new call phone number database is not true. In fact, federal law prohibits telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phones. You may place your personal cell phone number on the registry, but, according to the FTC’s press release, there is generally no reason to do so.
Community Page Update Request
The Team Mahaska Web Site has a community page for each of the incorporated communities within Mahaska County. Efforts are made to make sure the content is accurate but with so many changes in local government, that sometimes becomes a daunting task. The Team Mahaska Web Site Content Coordinator is sending a mailing which requests community page information be reviewed and changes/corrections made. Copies of the community pages are included in the mailing so changes can be written directly on the hard copies and returned to Team Mahaska Web Site Content Coordinator, PO Box 763, Oskaloosa, IA 52577, or they can be sent via email. Current contact information may not be accurate, so individuals who receive the mailing are asked to pass the packet along to appropriate individuals to make sure community page updates remain current. The mailing will also include a questionnaire regarding the Community Calendar; all information should be returned as soon as possible. For more information email The Team Mahaska Web Site Content Coordinator or call Pam at 641.673.7533.
Notice: Oskaloosa City Council Media Available
 The entire Oskaloosa City Council Agenda and supporting documents can now be viewed on the city’s web site. Additionally, City Council meetings may be viewed on the local cable access channel the evening after the regular meeting. Tapes of the regular meetings may also be checked out at the Oskaloosa Public Library.
Oskaloosa Arts Fellowship
 The Oskaloosa Arts Fellowship is an exciting community organization that
will help build awareness of the arts through cultural events, art exhibits,
activities, classes, partnerships, and more. You're invited to learn more
about this organization and perhaps even be a part of its membership.
If you'd like more information or have any questions, please contact Randy and
Vicki Wright at 673-5906 or John and Heidi Jannenga at 660-8333.
MCCB On The Web
For all the latest conservation news and updates, check out MCCB online
at www.mahaskaconservation.com.
There you’ll find information about the county parks, the nature center,
hunting and fishing areas, wildlife habitat improvements, and upcoming public
events. There are fun family activities in the kid’s section. You
can even send in your nature related questions to be answered by the MCCB
Naturalist.
Direct Shots – Useful sites because you may not have time to surf!
Editor’s Note: If you’ve found a useful website you’d
like to see listed, please submit it to TM’s
Website Content Editor, and, after checking the sites’ usefulness
and validity, it may get posted here so others can take advantage of time
you’ve already spent in surfing.
- Campsite Reservations: Campers are now able to go on-line and reserve state park campsites across Iowa.
Visit www.reserveiaparks.com to choose a site and view park attractions.
Campers can also call 877-427-2757.
- What's for Dinner? That age-old question now has some help with these online menu planners which could help for a
less stressful week! (Subscription fees apply.) www.relishrelish.com; www.allrecipes.com; www.thescrample.com; www.dinnerplanner.com.
- There are many useful web site links located right here on the Team Mahaska site. Just click on “Resources”
in the navigation bar to find links addressing 12 different categories of information.
- Informed Dining: To see restaurant inspections on the web by the State Department of Inspections and Appeals,
go to www.state.ia.us/government/dia
- Agency Reporting of Gifts, Bequests and Grants: Reports from state agencies on gifts, bequests and grants they
receive from private or other government sources can be viewed at the web site for the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure
Board, this includes gifts the Governor receives on behalf of the state. The web address is www.state.ia.us/government/iecdb/ethics/gifts.htm.
- Obtaining your Credit Report: It’s a good idea to periodically check your credit report to spot errors or fraud.
There are three main credit reporting agencies: Equifax - www.equifax.com;
Experian - www.experian.com; TransUnion - www.transunion.com.
- There is a web site that helps visitors find the lowest gasoline prices in an area after typing in a specific
zip code. GasBuddy is a portal to over 170 local or state sites that track what stations in each community
are charging. www.gasbuddy.com
- For bargain hunters and coupon clippers, there's a web size
that provides a “virtual coupon clipping” program.
Just enter your zip code to find a list of grocery stores in
your area that participate, click on your favorite store, pick
the coupons you want, and then print out the page. www.valupage.com/Entry.pst
- If you're in the market for a new home appliance and enjoy
research before purchase, you might want to visit www.appliance411.com which
they claim provides “unbiased, helpful tips about home
appliances.”
- Ever wondered how your lifestyle habits and family history
affect your longevity? The non-profit Alliance for Aging Research
has a Life Expectancy Calculator based on centenarian studies
and other medical research. Assess your longevity by answering
the questions at www.livingto100.com.
- Very few people could remember everything they own in the event of a tragedy such as a house fire or tornado. Free home inventory software is available on the Internet. The Insurance Information Institute offers "Know Your Stuff Home Inventory" downloadable software at its website, www.knowyourstuff.org. You might also check with your insurance agent to see if the company which insures your home also has free software to make home inventory an easier task to tackle.
Did you know...
Do you know the average cost of driving? When considering fuel, routine maintenance, tires, insurance, license, registration, loan finance charges and depreciation costs (not loan payments), the average cost of driving is 52.2 cents per mile. That means a medium-sized sedan traveling 15,000 miles a year will cost an owner $7,967 annually, according to AAA who began the annual analysis of the cost of driving in 1950. That year, gas cost 27 cents per gallon and driving 10,000 miles cost 9 cents a mile. (Source: The Des Moines Register, 7/3/06))
On May 21, 1934, Oskaloosa, Iowa, became the first city in the United States
to fingerprint all of its citizens. (Source, 5/21/04 Des Moines Register)
An Iowa law approved in May 1999 prohibits the sending of unsolicited
bulk e-mail that uses a third party's name for the return address
without permission, or contains false or missing routing information.
Unsolicited bulk commercial e-mail messages must include opt-out
instructions and contact information, and opt-out requests must
be honored. The law applies to e-mail that is sent to or through
a computer network located in Iowa. You can read more at www.spamlaws.com/state/ia.html.
Fun Wine Facts
One Acre of Land averages five tons of grapes, 13.51 barrels of wine, 797
gallons of wine, 3,958 bottles of wine, 15,940 glasses of wine.
One
Barrel of Wine contains 740 pounds of grapes, 59 gallons of wine,
24.6 cases of wine, 295 bottles of wine, 1,180 glasses of wine.
One
Case of Wine contains 30 pounds of grapes, 307.2 ounces of wine,
12 bottle of wine, 48 glasses of wine.
One Bottle of Wine contains
2.4 pounds of grapes, 25.6 ounces of wine, 4 glasses of wine.
One
Glass of Wine contains 9.7 ounces of grapes, 6.4 ounces of wine.
(Source:
Signature Wines Quarterly Newsletter - “Wine Club Press”)
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