Today is my last day as a college apprentice at POW-I80. It is hard to believe that a full twelve months ago I arrived in our office for the first time. Gloria and Deb taught me so much in those first few weeks, and after only a month it was sad to say goodbye to Gloria at her retirement party in June of 2011. I spent a good majority of that summer working on Ragbrai, cold-calling all our local Grinnell businesses for volunteers, helping coordinate events, and wondering how on earth we would get so many thousands of bikers into town! Ragbrai was definitely a highlight of the summer. As I started getting the hang of things as an apprentice, I began working with Deb on planning the exporting conference in conjunction with Iowa Innovation Gateway that took place in Pella in the fall.  As September rolled by, I began my senior year at Grinnell College and met our new Director of Marketing, Laura. I knew Deb, Laura, and I would soon make a close-knit team, and as the months grew colder I felt right at home at POW-I80. I started working more closely with Grinnell Renaissance, and although those 7am Tuesday meetings required a lot of coffee and motivation, I was soon contributing, excited and encouraged by the projects assigned to me. By the end of the fall semester, I had researched and revised the Renaissance By-Laws and their Design Guidelines, going back and forth through many revisions as the board reviewed my work until the final versions were produced.

            When I returned from winter break for my final semester, I found myself at the half-way point in my apprenticeship. Feeling familiar with our projects and board members, dedicated to our mission statement of bettering the communities, and confident in my work, I was ready to take on my own, long-term project for POW-I80. Deb had approached me with the idea of creating promotional videos for the county, a marketing tool that would be useful on our website and for social media, and with my background in film work I excitedly began developing a project. For the past few months I have been planning, interviewing, filming, and editing together four short videos, one highlighting Brooklyn, Montezuma, Grinnell, and Poweshiek county as a whole. The project was finally completed last week, and as we released the videos online and made them public, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride, the feeling that my apprenticeship had really been worth while. That moment I will remember as the apex of my apprenticeship here. I encourage you to visit www.youtube.com/poweshieki80 to check the videos out.

            I need to thank the College’s Office of Community Enhancement for making this opportunity possible for me, and to Deb, Gloria, and Laura for teaching, supporting, and encouraging me throughout the year. I originally applied for this position as a third-year student who felt disconnected from the community outside of the College. Now, as a graduating senior, I am filled with a sense of community and sadness for leaving this town that I have made home. The bonds that I have developed throughout the past year, the people I have met, and the skills I have learned will stay with me wherever my path takes me next. Next week I will have graduated with a degree in sociology, and back home in California for the summer I will be looking for work in non-profits or perhaps business management. All I can say is thank you to everyone who helped make this year so meaningful, enjoyable, and important to me.

Sincerely, Grace

This past week, on March 28^th, POW-I80 hosted our Annual Dinner Meeting, featuring Governor Branstad & Iowa Department of Transportation Director Paul Trombino. The event was held at the Michael J Manatt Community Center in Brooklyn, with around 100 guests in attendance. The center was bustling with energy and excitement as Catherine Wilson, Chair of Poweshiek Iowa Development, welcomed the crowd of community members and Iowa leaders, presenting the current initiatives for the coming year. Our Executive Director, Deb Collum-Calderwood, presented the annual report for POW-I80 and Mayor Gordon Canfield recognized retiring board members Michael Mahaffey (Montezuma) and Steve Crawford (Grinnell).  Pete Brownell, CEO of Brownells provided an update on his role as board member on the new Iowa Economic Development Authority and introduced Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. As our keynote speaker, the governor spoke about Iowa’s relations with China, his progress in creating 200,000 new jobs in Iowa, and growing the agriculture and export sector in Iowa. Paul Trombino, Director of the Iowa DOT, spoke on the importance of our transportation systems such as freight rail and roadways, especially as it relates to maintaining a healthy economy and prosperous in Iowa. What was perhaps one of the most special aspects of the meeting was the special time and attention Trombino and Brandstad gave to the guests. Both distinguished leaders arrived to the Annual Meeting early to meet and greet guests, and both stayed late to answer questions and listen to the ideas and wants of everyone who approached them. The ability to talk with our elected officials and their time and dedication to concerns on the local level was the greatest highlight of the evening. A great success for all! 

As Christmas approaches and I prepare to leave Grinnell for a month to be with my family over winter break, I have a lot to think about and a lot to be thankful about. December. How can it possibly be December? Shuffling down the street in my enormous puffy winter coat, I can’t believe how quickly we have slipped into the beginning of winter. For me as a Grinnell student, my classes are coming to a close and I must gear up for my final semester in Grinnell. As I think about commencement and the daunting yet exciting unknown of what will come next, I have to fight off the early yet gnawing sensation of nostalgia. This school, town, and community has come to mean so much to me over the past four years. When I think back on the town, the memories that come to mind are bright winter morning walks to Saint’s Rest for coffee, glowy autumn evenings of crunchy leaves, and exuberant spring afternoons filled with bikers, walkers, and sun bathers all trying to catch the first rays of warmer weather. I will think of the long, lazy days of barbeques, pool time at the Aquatic Center, and Ragbrai mania from this past summer. I will remember getting my first haircut in town at Dave Paulson’s salon, waiting at midnight to see Harry Potter at the Strand Theatre, and many post- exam celebrations at La Cabanas. As a California native, I will even remember the beautifully quiet morning of my first big snowfall at Grinnell, which I watched with awe. I have to remind myself, as I think about graduation in May, that the rest of the world is not like Grinnell. We have a very special community here and I count my blessings that I’ve had the chance to experience live and study here.  And with that, happy holidays everyone!

For additional information, call 319.234.4567 or email cstreed@silosandsmokestacks.org

            As I think back on the days events, a few potent memories stand out the brightest. Standing on the north side of the high school in our bright pink volunteer shirts, I cheered and waved with the welcoming committee as wave after wave of tired yet triumphant cyclists came up over that last hill and cruised into Grinnell. I got more grins, whoops, and sweaty high fives that morning than I can count, but it was all worth it to see the excitement and gratitude on the faces of the cyclists as they benefited from all the weeks and months of hard work Grinnell went through to make Ragbrai the best it could be.

Later that afternoon I found myself wandering through the tent cities that, as if by magic, had sprung up over every park in town. Families, and friends, and solo riders were washing and setting up and resting through the midday heat, settling in to their 24-hour Grinnell home. It was amazing to witness the sense of camaraderie and community among the Ragbraiers that day, the shared sense of accomplishment and exhaustion. The group was quite mixed, with a healthy balance of entertaining antics and partiers with more serious, straight-laced riders.

            Later that night, like a freeze-frame from a movie, I have a clear image of Main Street packed to the gills with people, faces filled with excitement, heads craned upwards at the lasers dancing above us. The laser show was really something else; I found it both strange and wonderful. The display was synced to a top hits playlist, and the lasers created a 3D animation to illustrate each song. I believe there was a moment towards the end when the entire crowd joined together and burst into “I’m Proud to be an American,” our voices rising together and reverberating off the downtown buildings, filling the warm July night air.

            All in all, Ragbrai was pulled off as a major success. Breakfast in Brooklyn early the next morning (how DO they party at night and leave so early the next morning?) packed the flag lined streets. There seemed to be an endless array of yummy foods (who tried the armadillo eggs??) and most venders sold out by the afternoon. And then, as if carried off by the wind, the riders trailed away and out of sight. What an event! Check out our facebook page for pictures from Brooklyn’s Ragbrai and let us know your memorable stories from that day!

            Sunday involved a barbeque with friends and many hours floating around the lazy river at Grinnell Mutual Family Aquatic Center, which is free this summer for college students. Finally, on Monday, it was the Fourth of July! I have been anticipating the Fourth of July since the beginning of the summer, and I was not disappointed. Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, but Grinnell’s parade and fireworks show outdid itself this year. The theme of this year’s parade was “Celebrating Agriculture,” with Grand Marshals Jim and Molly Urfer. The lineup began on East St. at 5pm with floats, walkers throwing candy and waving, tractors and trucks of all sizes and shapes, vintage vehicles, and even an equestrian unit.  Families lined Broad Street with folding chairs and blankets as the procession moved through downtown. Later that night Ahrens Park was filled with excited faces as fireworks burst overhead. Good food, good friends, and great events in Grinnell made my weekend truly memorable. Check out our facebook page to see pictures of the parade, and share your Fourth of July stories on our wall!

 Born and raised in Pasadena, California, this will be my fourth year in Iowa but my very first summer here in Grinnell!  There are so many fun summer events to look forward to in Poweshiek County: farmer’s markets, music in the park, BBQs, Fourth of July festivities, and of course the big Ragbrai event in July! I will be here to record all these events and more as the summer unfolds and I get out there into the community with POW-I80. Here’s to a great summer in Poweshiek!

Grace Carroll

POW-I80 Marketing Coordinator and Apprentice

Grinnell ‘12

Poweshiek Iowa Development’s annual meeting took place a week ago today on March 29. We were incredibly fortunate in that we had two very special guests join us! Debi Durham, the State Director of the Iowa  Department of Economic Development, delivered our keynote address and  Bill Menner, the State Director of USDA Rural Development (and former  Executive Director of Pow I-80), delivered our capstone address. Durham spent the afternoon leading up to the meeting with city officials and business leaders from PoweshiekCounty. She spoke about her department’s two major goals for the upcoming year: to create 200,000 new jobs, and to increase exports of Iowa businesses by 20%. Interestingly enough, Pow I-80, along with the Iowa Innovation Gateway Region is planning a large export conference in the fall. It is wonderful to see our mission as a county-wide organization align with the state department’s. In addition, Durham lectured on some new changes facing the Iowa Department of Economic Development. The organization’s new name will be the Economic Development Authority, and along with the Economic Development Corporation/Iowa Innovation Corporation (a non-profit set up to foster especially innovative entrepreneurial ventures) will form the Economic Progress Partnership. Menner talked about the importance for rural communities to create wealth, and also the importance of preserving the rural America lifestyle. Altogether, the meeting was a huge success for the organization. We had over 80 people attend, and this was the first time that we’ve had the director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development attend since 1998. We appreciate all the support we have received, and are looking forward to another great year of development and progress in Poweshiek County!

Phillip Brogdon POW I-80

Apprentice/Assistant Development Planner

Grinnell College ‘12