Ellsworth, IA

The Ellsworth Community Club has held Ellsworth Extravaganza Celebration the same weekend as the Ellsworth Alumni Dinner. This year it was decided to hold Ellsworth Extravaganza a different weekend separate from the Alumni Reunion.

Activities for the weekend included community meals, a parade, games in the park, a talent show, and a community worship service.

The Friday night meal was sponsored by the Community Club, with the Saturday noon meal sponsored by the three churches in the community working together. The proceeds from the Saturday meal were donated by the three churches to the Horizons project in the community.

The games in the park were run by a variety of organizations. Included in the games were: a Goldfish Race sponsored by the Cub Scouts, a Fish Pond sponsored by an 8th grade choir, a Duck Pond sponsored by the Fire Department, a Bingo Game sponsored by a Church Youth Group, a Ring Toss Game sponsored by the Park Board, and a Sucker Pull sponsored by the Brownies/Girl Scouts.

The Community Worship Service was held in the Community Center with all three churches in town participating in the service.

Many of the activities for the weekend were expanded over the past years. Other groups in the community were utilized in carrying out some of the weekend activities.

A City of Ellsworth Property Maintenance Code Complaint Form was signed by 15 concerned citizens of Ellsworth and presented to City Hall. This complaint was based on Chapter 145 of the City Code - Dangerous Buildings and Section 145.03 - Unsafe Buildings. Community members are concerned with a building on Main Street which they believe is unsafe.

Working with the Ellsworth Park Board a request was submitted to the Hamilton County Foundation for a $1,500 grant for improving our park facilities in Ellsworth. This $1500 would be matched by Ellsworth Bingo. The Ellsworth Park Board was awarded $1000 by the Hamilton County Foundation on March 25 at the Hamilton County Foundation Grant Award Ceremony. The remaining $500 needed for this project was taken out of the Park Board budget. This grant along with the remaining $2000 was used to improve the city park facilities for our Ellsworth citizens

Following the Leadership Plenty training, citizen attendance at City Council Meetings has increased. This has become an important link in our community. This is good for the community and our leaders. Hearing things first hand and having things clarified helps to have Ellsworth citizens informed instead of just assuming the facts are known. The council is receptive to having citizens attend.

Friday the 13th’s have become special in Ellsworth, but because of a neighboing community’s town celebration Ellsworth has planned an “Almost Friday the 13th” community event for Thursday June 12th. Free Ice Cream Cones on Main Street!! We will use this opportunity to tell people about the upcoming Citizens in Action meeting on June 24.

The community of Ellsworth will soon have a website up and running. The hope is to have many people, businesses and organizations giving information to the webmaster to keep the website interesting and current. This is an opportunity to tap into our citizen resources and expertise.

Ellsworth is fortunate to have within the community a youth on a mission. The mission to keep Ellsworth flower containers beautiful became a horticulture project for one student. Brittany worked to secure the funds necessary to stain and plant flowers in all the planters on main street and all around town. The Park Board and Local Businesses supported her, and she made it happen. Thank you, Brittany!!

Horizons in Ellsworth has communicated with the Hamilton County Seed director about the steps to take to work toward getting another restuarant along the I-35 corridor at Ellsworth. We will continue to partner with “Seed” throughout the projects of Horizons in our community

Sheila and Gina have been chosen to attend a “Grassroots and Groundwork” workshop in Minnesota May 28-30. This workshop will teach ways to expand Horizons in our community. Sheila and Gina will join people from other Horizon communities and Extension Staff members to explore ideas that will help reduce poverty and find sustainable ways to thrive.

That’s right…the CIA is in Ellsworth!! Citizens In Action. The “Ellsworth CIA” is planned as an open to everyone community meeting to generate and organize ideas to improve the quality of living in our community. Plans are to have the meetings be monthly starting very soon. This plan comes from the Horizons steering comittee’s April meeting.