Mayor DeWaard appoints ad hoc committee for indoor recreation center

Emily Hawk, The Oskaloosa Herald, Iowa
·2 min read

May 4—PELLA — Mayor Don DeWaard has appointed members of the Pella community to serve on an ad hoc committee for a proposed indoor recreation center.

Those on the committee will serve as volunteers and make recommendations to city council, the project engineer and other city boards on the direction of a proposed indoor recreation facility.

The following community members were appointed to the committee by DeWaard at Tuesday's city council meeting:

— Jaime Schiferl, manager, PCD Group Fitness

— Doug Diers, president, Shoot-It Basketball Academy

— Lindsy Brandt, board president and program director for the Pella Tennis Association Program

— Laura Nicholson, freshman volleyball coach, Pella Community Schools

— Nate Guess, Pella Community Services Board

— Andrea Dana, executive director, Iowa Dance/Drill Team Association

— Russ Goodman, assistant women's soccer coach, Central College

— Sarah Turnbull, local parent of a special needs child

— Joe Ritzert, Pella Wrestling Club

— Jennie Hedrick-Rozenberg, head coach, Central College Triathlon and swim coach for South East Aquatics and the City of Pella

— Spencer Carlstone, medical doctor, city council member

— Representative from Fields for our Future

"On Wednesday, I called all of these people, and first of all, not one of them said 'oh, call me back,'" DeWaard said. "The immediate response was 'I'd love to do that.' It's a lot of excitement for everyone."

"This is a wide range of swimming, basketball, volleyball, tennis, wrestling, and Sarah Turnbull, who has a special needs child. We know what they've been through, and I thought it might be good to have someone with that perspective," he added.

The appointment of an ad hoc committee came two weeks after DeWaard and the city announced a $45 million long-term facilities plan to invest in recreation and fine arts in the community. The plan currently includes the construction of a new indoor recreation facility; potential renovations to the existing Pella Community Center; extending University Street and Baseline Drive to include a walking trail that will connect to Caldwell Park; relocating the existing soccer complex to Pella Sports Park; and a Pella Dog Park.

Emily Hawk is the associate editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. She can be reached at ehawk@oskyherald.com.