Manson sets its sights on a new vision
Community continues long-range planning, more projectsBy JO VETTER, Messenger correspondent
MANSON - Manson is a community with a vision.
That vision is intended to guide plans to enhance the town and build upon strong aspects of community life residents say are already in place.
The people of Manson have had practice re-visioning their town. In June 1979, much of the community was destroyed by a tornado.
''It was devastating. Absolutely,'' said longtime resident and Manson Community Library Director Ann Schlapkohl, ''because it disrupted everyone's lives for a long time.''
''To get back to functioning was key,'' said Schlapkohl, ''and it was hard to function. ... There was no electricity, no water, no telephone service - and this was all before there were cell phones. It was hard.''
However, the community rebuilt itself, and Schlapkohl said that now Manson ''has a lot of positives going for it.''
''It's a comfortable place to live,'' she said. ''It's a comfortable place to raise children.''
She's not the only one who believes that.
Shannon Martin, who works for Star Energy in Manson, was at the Manson Northwest Webster Elementary School to pick up her daughter on Thursday, the first day of school.
Martin said that one of the reasons she liked living in Manson was that it was a good community to raise kids.
''That's why we picked it,'' she said.
Five-year-old Destinee Martin was just leaving the school building after finishing her first day of kindergarten. She was smiling up at Manson Northwest Webster Kindergarten Associate Sandy Hokinson and eagerly sharing her first impressions of school.
Destinee Martin said she liked ''sleeping and playing babies and pictures and recess.''
She joined a kindergarten class that has 51 students in it.
Manson Northwest Webster School District Superintendent Mark Egli said that this is the largest class of kindergartners the district has had in five years.
''It's 30 percent larger than the previous four classes,'' he said. ''Still, compared to our high school classes of 72 seniors and 62 juniors, we're still graduating much larger classes than we are taking in.''
Whether the school district will maintain its numbers, grow or decline remains to be seen, however, the vision Manson has for itself may have an impact on that.
In early 2008, Manson began to bring together the leadership of various organizations in the community in order to unite them in working toward common goals.
Manson Development Director Joyce Hammen said that at that same time the Manson Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation and the City Council were notified that Manson had been selected to participate in the 2008 Iowa Living Roadways Community Visioning Program.
Hammen said that the selection of Manson to participate in that program meant that the community would receive planning and design expertise to help it identify areas of need and plan community projects to meet those needs.
The Manson Visioning Committee has determined four project areas. They include enhancements to entryways and signage of the community, creating a recreational trail, a master plan for the Fairgrounds Park and a downtown streetscape plan.
''We are optimistic that these important enhancements to the community coupled with established economic development programs will reinforce Manson's leadership role in Calhoun County,'' Hammen said.
She said Manson has in place some unique programs to promote economic growth in the community.
''For new business and industry,'' Hammen said, ''the city of Manson already offers both commercial and industrial tax abatements.''
''For new home construction,'' she said, ''the city offers a five-year, 100 percent tax abatement as well as low interest construction financing.''
Hammen said that the Visioning Committee will begin work in September on an Implementation Plan, prioritizing the community enhancement projects it has identified and outlining a long term plan for completion.
Across town, more long-range planning is being done.
The Manson Public Library is in the process of a renovation project.
Schlapkohl said that the library is getting a general sprucing up.
''We are going to improve the facility with new lights, carpet, paint and cabinetry,'' she said. ''We are calling it 'Turn the Page at the Manson Public Library,' and occasionally, we have added to that 'A New Chapter Awaits,''' she said with a smile.
The facility improvements are the initial phase of what could eventually include new computers and even a library addition Shlapkohl said.
She said that the most exciting part of the facility face-lift is the new cabinetry being planned to house the Manson Impact Structure materials.
The tornado back in 1979 isn't the only devastation this area has known.
Manson is built on the site of the Manson Impact Structure which was created 74 million years ago when a meteorite estimated to have been 1.5 miles wide slammed into what is now Iowa.
The crater created by the impact was long ago filled in by glacial activity, so it isn't visible. However, Shlapkohl said visitors travel to Manson from all over seeking information on the Manson Impact Structure.
''We show them the materials we have here,'' Shlapkohl said.
She said that the new cabinetry will make it easier for visitors to get access to the core samples taken by Iowa Geological Survey geologist Ray Anderson which are on loan to the library, as well as articles the library has collected and makes available for study.
No one was on hand at the time the impact structure was created to envision what would happen next, however the residents of Manson are not only envisioning their future, they are actively working together to create it for themselves.
Contact Jo Vetter at (515) 573-2141 or editor@messengernews.net
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prettymom
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08-22-08 11:26 AM
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this all sounds great! now if they could get a good police deptartment that would inforce the laws.....it would be a great little town.
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