It’s working for the community.

Rose Hosek, an acupuncturist who has her practice on the south side of the square is happy with the improvements.

“It helps our older population get around,” she said. “The old sidewalk was unsafe.”

She’s been practicing her art in the community for about a decade.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Acupuncturist Rose Hosek spends a little time with her office therapy dog Duke. Hosek has been practicing in Rockwell City for about a decade and has seen her practice grow.

“I’m doing phenomenally,” she said. “I’m very busy. Rockwell City, Calhoun County and the northwest Iowa area has accepted me graciously.”

Hosek said that the Chinese art of acupuncture is one of many treatments available and that it works well when integrated with Western medicine.

“All medicines can work together if we put our egos aside,” she said. “I don’t care who gets you healthy as long as you get healthy.”

She also has a relaxing friend that spends his days in the office with her, her 1-year-old great Dane Duke.

“He’s our office therapy dog,” she said. “He has his own fan club.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Denise Pohl, director of the Rockwell City Public Library, stands by several of the new computers recently purchased that feature a touch screen.

She believes the community is doing well overall.

“I think we’re doing really well,” she said. “We’re holding our own and growing.”

Dr. Tyler Fistler also practices on the south side of the square. He has his chiropractic office inside the Nick Hildreth Memorial Clinic.

He opened in Oct. 2017 after graduating from the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport.

“I just love the community,” he said. “I grew up here.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Dr. Tyler Fistler poses in his treatment room at the Nick Hildreth Memorial Clinic in Rockwell City. Fistler opened his practice in Oct. 2017 and enjoys a great working relationship with the clinic and other local providers.

He said he’s getting plenty of community support. He also enjoys working cooperatively with Kylie Hildreth who founded the clinic.

“We work together a lot,” he said. “If someone has an issue that might not be chiropractically related she’ll come in and check the patient out.”

Fistler said the cooperative relationship with other providers is true through the community and extends to the nearby town of Lake City.

“It’s been very nice,” he said. “We don’t have an X-ray machine so we’re able to send patients to Stewart Memorial.”

Denise Pohl, the director at the Rockwell City Library is also happy with the benefits from the infrastructure project.

“That’s been awesome,” she said. “We love it. It’s so nice for our patrons.”

She said the library has recently added some new computers.

“We got eight new desktop computers,” she said. “They’re touchscreen. One young man who was playing a game said ‘Oooh, they’re touchscreen, I’ll need bigger thumbs.”

She said the traditional library patron, in search of a good read, is still very much a big part of those who use the library. Those seeking digital versions to read, have not had much impact.

“We worried that our numbers would dip and they haven’t.” she said.

As a member of the Bridges program, which lets patrons check out e-books, she’s able to offer much more to patrons that just what’s on the shelves.

She also enjoys the many programs they offer.

“We are having Toddler Time,” she said.

It can be a little chaotic.

“It’s like trying to make baby ducks stay in a line,” she joked. “We had almost 30 toddlers to watch. It was crazy but I loved it.”

She too has a favorable impression of how Rockwell City is doing.

“I feel like it’s doing really well,” she said.

One of the newer businesses on the square is the Mainline Boutique. The store is co-owned by Mandy Becker and Holly Frerk, and it opened in January of 2017. They sell clothing and a variety of gift items.

“It seemed like something a small community could use,” Becker said. “People can come in and pick out a gift or get an outfit for the weekend.”

She said that business has been good.

“We’ve had good community support,” she said.

She too, is among those who recommend Rockwell City as a place to open a business.

“Definitely.”

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