New neighborhood park planning underway
At the Le Mars City Council meeting yesterday, September 15th, council members considered a proposal from Cheryl and Mike Wells. The Wells’ have expressed interest in donating a 3.83-acre property to the City of Le Mars. Cheryl and Mike want the property converted into a neighborhood park and proposed to pay half of the planning process costs.
The planning process for the 20th Street S.E. property would be conducted by ISG for a total cost of $13,500. Cheryl and Mike would cover $6,750 of the cost, with the City of Le Mars covering the remaining half. The property is adjacent to a planned 55+ townhome community, and the ISG proposal outlines a vision for a passive-use park including trails, native landscaping, and structured shade.
The City Council voted unanimously to approve the ISG agreement providing planning services for the proposed park.
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Plymouth County library budget approved
At the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday, September 15th, board members approved library agreement and funding allocations for fiscal year 2026-27.
$150,000 was dispersed between Le Mars, Remsen, Akron, Kingsley, and Merrill libraries, with Le Mars receiving a majority of the funding at $46,216. Merrill received the highest percentage of funding needed to cover their budget, with $16,030 covering 41.4 percent of their $38,636 budget. The allocations are based on rural circulation data.
The $150,000 allocation of funds to Plymouth County libraries is a $5,000 increase from last year.
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Le Mars Art Center presenting exhibition
The Le Mars Art Center and Arts Council is presenting a new exhibition, “An Invitation to White Rock” by Terri Parish McGaffin. The exhibition will run from now until November 7th with an opening reception this week on Thursday, September 17th from 5-7 p.m.
McGaffin, the Artist-In-Residence at White Rock in 2021 and 2024, painted a picture of the nonprofit land trust.
McGaffin says that a visit to White Rock is “food for the soul.”
She looks forward to the opening reception where she can show off her work.
The residency program is still available for those who are interested.
