May 23, 2012

You are here: Home / Archives for Recreation & Entertainment

Grab the tent, sleeping bags, it’s Camping Kickoff Weekend

May 4, 2012 By

Iowans are invited to explore the state’s parks as part of this Camping Kickoff Weekend. Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the State Parks Bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says this weekend will be a good time to get ready for the camping season ahead.

“A lot of people think Memorial Day weekend is really the beginning of the camping season,” Szcodronski says, “but we urge people before that weekend to get their camping equipment out, get everything working, get it cleaned up, make sure everything is good to go so when they go on Memorial Day weekend or other times, they don’t have to spend a lot of time fixing things and cleaning things up.”

Szcodronski says there will be something for everyone at the parks during this weekend, including hikes on the plentiful trails, cooking over wood fires and likely, catching some fish. “This is an excellent time to go out and fish so bring your fishing poles and your licenses,” he says, adding, “This is the time of the year the mosquitoes and bugs are very low, if any.”

Szcodronski says the price is right to enjoy the parks as there is no entrance fee, while staying overnight in a cabin or camping may run as low as $16. Find out more about the camping kickoff weekend at: www.iowadnr.gov

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: News, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

Farmers markets set to open across state

May 4, 2012 By

Des Moines farmers market.

Many of the roughly 230 farmers markets around the state will be opening soon and Iowans will likely find some fresh produce they aren’t accustomed to seeing at this time of year.

Kelly Foss, director of the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market, says the warm weather in March allowed most growers to plant crops two to three weeks earlier than usual.

In addition, orchard produce began blooming much earlier than normal. “Through the season, I think we’re going to be ahead of schedule,” Foss said.

“Typically, we get closer to fall before we start getting apples, but we may see apples a little bit earlier this year, same with strawberries and things like that.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports Iowa has the 5th most farmers market per capita in the country. Between 15,000 to 20,000 people attend the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market each week. Foss said the crowds are getting bigger because there are more growers and a wider variety of growers.

“Selling directly to your customer is a really great marketing tool for local growers and it has really become a passion for these growers and they weren’t doing it 10 years ago,” Foss said. “Many of our growers who are selling at the market are fairly new within the last five to six years.”

The Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market opens for its 37th season tomorrow. There will be over 300 vendors, including 30 who are new to the market this year. Two vendors will be offering a new meat – rabbit. There will be a total of 17 producers selling meats.

Those meats include duck, goat, lamb, chicken, elk, pork and beef. Vendors, artists and entertainers at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market come from 51 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Filed Under: Agriculture, News, Recreation & Entertainment

Campaign underway to attract out-of-state visitors (VIDEO)

April 30, 2012 By

The Iowa Tourism Office has launched a campaign to lure visitors from neighboring states. Office manager Shawna Lode says the marketing effort includes 15-second television ads on cable networks in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City. “We’re using a range of tactics,” Lode says. “We’re advertising online, in print, in malls and we’re also working on social media and public relations to extend our message.”

The goal of the ad campaign is to highlight Iowa as an affordable, easy-to-get-to family destination. The primary target of the ads is moms. “We’re targeting ‘social moms,’ is what we are calling them,” Lode said. “We’re targeting women, who primarily make the travel decisions in the home. We’re targeting them in malls with advertising on lighted kiosks and entrances to the malls. We’re also targeting those moms in publications that women read and websites that women visit.”

The spring ad campaign is costing the state around $800,000. Travelers to Iowa annually generate more than $6 billion in spending and leave behind more than $300 million in state tax revenue, according to Lode.

 

Filed Under: News, Recreation & Entertainment

Strong scratch ticket sales, record Mega Millions jackpot drive up Lottery profits

April 27, 2012 By

The Iowa Lottery reports proceeds to the state are already over the $58.7 million the organization projected for the fiscal year that ends in July. The money returned to the state in March was $10-million more than March of last year.

Lottery C.E.O. Terry Rich says the world-record Mega Millions jackpot last month was part of the reason for the increase. “The Mega Millions jackpot was big, I guess really big, in that it added about two-and-a-half to three million dollars in proceeds of the state,” Rich says.

“But overall, the big growth has been in scratch tickets. People who just enjoy having a cup of coffee and playing the Monopoly scratch ticket at the local convenience store continue enjoying that kind of product.” March was the fourth straight month with record scratch ticket sales.

Rich has said in the past that high gas prices were something that could hurt lottery sales. He says that was evident in the past when price hit $3.50 a gallon, but he says the threshold now is higher.

“We’re thinking it would take a $4.50 a gallon cost of gasoline to really impact sales now. And with the economy this has kind of also changed the dynamics because I think people are looking for a way to kind of escape all the craziness that’s happened with this poor economy. And being able to spend a few dollars and dream a little about a big return with a jackpot, I think it gives some hope and some optimism. And I think that’s helped us with a few dollars and a local place to buy it with our sales,” Rich explains.

He expects the strong sales to continue through the final three months of the fiscal year. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that the lottery is going to have the best year in its history on its core products, the pull tabs, scratch tickets and our lotto tickets. So it’s going to be a big year, but the beauty I think of what we’ve always said bout the lottery is that it’s optional revenue — people only play if they want to,” Rich says.

Lottery proceeds were over $60.4million by the end of March.

Filed Under: Business, News, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

“Hunting Works for Iowa” partnership launches

April 25, 2012 By

Hunters, retailers and the state’s tourism industry are joining forces to tout the economic benefits of hunting in Iowa.

“Each year, nearly 50,000 visitors come to Iowa to hunt, which is a huge number,” says Libbey Patton, tourism director for Clear Lake. “They spend an average of five days in our state and spend nearly $170 each day on lodging, meals, gas, equipment and supplies.”

Patton cites statistics indicating nearly 6000 Iowans have jobs that are directly tied to hunting. Steve Ries of Central City runs Top Gun Kennels, a family business that raises dogs for pheasant hunters.

“We’re losing interest in the field,” Ries says. “There was 160,000 hunters in 2000 that took the field to pheaseant hunt and today there is 60,000 hunting taking the field to pheasant hunt, so we’re losing 100,000 hunters.”

That drop off is due to a declining pheasant population in Iowa, but Ries is hoping the mild winter can help boost the number of birds available this fall for hunters.

 

“The pheasant population is as low as I’ve ever seen it in 19 years being in the business,” Ries says. “However, they say if everything is ideal, the pheasant population can double in one year. That’s not going to give us a lot of opportunity, but it is going to give us some hope to continue in that direction to attract more and more people in our state to pheasant hunt.”

Ries suggests hunters need to pass along a love of the sport to a younger generation that’s occupied with the shooting they can do in video games.

“I’ll guarantee you there is a lot more excitement when my daughter hit her first deer…than there is in 15 in an hour in a video, so those memories last a lifetime,” Ries says. “It’s just like fishing. It’s not the ones that you catch that you remember. It’s the ones that got away.”

Ries and Paton are part of the new “Hunting Works for Iowa” coalition hoping to focus attention on the economic impact of hunting. The group points to data which indicates each person who is licensed to hunt in Iowa spends an average of $1140 for each season they hunt, whether it be deer, doves, or other animals.

Filed Under: Featured Story, News, Politics & Government, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: ,

Negotiations over Sioux City casino continue without progress

April 24, 2012 By

The city council in Sioux City went into a closed session Monday to discuss their strategy regarding the future of the Argosy Riverboat Casino. Penn National Gaming’s operating agreement with casino license-holder Missouri River Historical Development (MRHD) expires on July seventh.

Argosy Casino manager, Lance George, appeared before the council at the end of their public meeting and asked them to accept the offer his parent company has made. “I would urge the council to take Penn National Gaming up on the offer extended to Mayor Scott on April 14th and meet face-to-face to discuss the proposal currently on the table,” George said. “As a company, our goal remains consistent, find a near-term resolution that is beneficial to all parties involved.”

George said Penn National has agree to a new downtown casino at an undisclosed site with a $100-million investment. Mayor Bob Scott disputes the amount George cited, saying most of that figure comes from existing or other sources.

“Existing machines are a third of the project, city commitment of some 35-million dollars is a third of the project, and your construction is a third of the project. So, in reality you’re putting up 35-million dollars worth of new money in the project, that’s all I’m trying to say. So just tell the public where the 100-million is if I’m wrong,”Scott said.

Scott told George it doesn’t make sense for the city to approve something that would move the casino off the river and pay the city less money. “At the end of the day we cannot accept a proposal that pays us less 20 years from now than what we’re getting today. And it’s very obvious, I’ll glady show you the numbers, we have them here,” Scott said.

Councilman John Fitch said no one on the council has anything against Penn National, but the council’s top priority is to look out for the best interests of city taxpayers. The Racing and Gaming Commission told the two sides in March that they want them to reach an agreement by their June meeting. The boat could close down without an agreement.

By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City

Filed Under: News, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: ,

Des Moines elementary school selected for federal arts performance program

April 23, 2012 By

A Des Moines elementary school has been chosen for a new federal program that seeks to boost student performance. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds talked about the school at the administration’s weekly news conference.

“Findley Elementary School in Des Moines has been selected to participate in a new art education initiative to help turnaround low-performing schools,” Reynolds says. “It was developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Domestic Policy Council. The Turnaround Arts initiative is a new public-private partnership designed to narrow the achievement gap and improve student engagement through the arts.”

Reynolds says Findley is one of just eight schools nationwide to be chosen in a competitive process for the program. She says the school will receive intensive arts education resources and the help of high-profile President’s Committee artists over the course of two years to support their educational reform effort. Academy Award winning actor, Forest Whitaker, is one of the people who will be working with the school.

Phil Roeder is the spokesman for the Des Moines public schools. “It’s really an exciting opportunity for the school and teachers and students and entire community around Fridley School to get in on the ground floor of this new program,” Roeder says.

Federal officials will do an external evaluation of Findley and the other schools that are involved. “It’s a school that’s beginning to see some marked improvement in their assessments and this’ll be a very interesting thing to track to see what kind of extra boost that gives to the academics for the kids at the school,” according to Roeder.

For more information on the two-year program, go to:www.turnaroundarts.pcah.gov.

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government, Recreation & Entertainment
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »