Sheldon, Iowa — The plastic bags that you use to take your groceries home may end up as a park bench at the Sheldon Prairie Arts Historical Park.
Prairie Arts Historical Park grant writer Colleen Lemkuil says that they can get a grant to fund benches, picnic tables, and waste receptacles made from the bags to be placed in the park. She says The Iowa Grocery Industry Association cooperates with Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls, Iowa, Inc. by sending them used bags to become usable furniture. As part of the possible grant, the Prairie Arts Council is promoting recycling of plastic bags and use of reusable bags.
Lemkuil says the Prairie Arts Council must show an increase in recycling in Northwest Iowa to get the grant, which she says they hope to receive on Earth Day, on April 22nd. She says another requirement of the grant was that they obtain letters from the local Grocery Store Association members and submit them as part of the grant process. She says both Hy-Vee and Fareway management participated. She says that it was great to get the letters from Sheldon Fareway Manager Brent Kraft, and Store Director of the Sheldon Hy-Vee store, Jerad Welter. Lemkuil says that both letters were encouraging.
Lemkuil tells us that after the front entry is completed in front of the Baker Township School, one of the benches will be placed there, and one will be placed by the Harold Tuttle Art Gallery. She says they even have some donors ready to pay for the name “Harold Tuttle” to be written on the bench in honor of Tuttle’s 90th birthday in July. Tuttle was a long time Sheldon art teacher and serves as the Prairie Arts Council President and Baker School Renovation manager.
She says they are asking for donations to help them complete the Baker Township School front entry. At this point, she says they need $6500.
Lemkuil also says that if people want to buy and donate a bench, that is a possibility as well. For more information, you can email Lemkuil at stancolleen37@gmail.com or call 515-229-4619. To contribute to the Baker Township School Front Entry Project, you can send a check to Prairie Arts Council, Box 61, Sheldon, Iowa 51201.
