Hazleton, IA

The purpose of the center is to help Hazleton students without computers at home complete homework assignments. Each student will be given a user name and password, which will not access to other people’s accounts or work. Undesirable programs are being blocked and will not be accessible.

The center will begin on Aug. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers utilizing two donated computers to begin with. If numbers dictate, three more donated computers will be added. Volunteers have been trained to be the monitors at the Center.

Students will be asked to bring their parent(s) to the center to sign the necessary papers in order to use the center. One of the papers to be signed is a rules and regulations paper and another is a release of all claims form. Both of these forms require the parent and student user signatures before access to the computer is granted. Sign-in and sign-out with times is done with each visit.

Excitement reigned supreme upon receiving the news that Hazleton’s final report was accepted! That meant that all the hard work done by the Horizon workers was worthy of receiving the final payment of $8500. Now the Hazleton Horizons Community Betterment Group will make decisions about where the funds will be used. Thanks go out to the North West Area Foundation for providing the incentive for the community to reach its goal!

Now that the growing season is in full force, the community garden plots are planted and going strong! That includes the weeds! All gardens share that commonality. Weekly hoeing and expending the love of nature finds community members pampering their plots. With the recent rains, the necessity of watering hasn’t been needed. Participants are waiting patiently for the fruits of their labor to produce crops to help lower their grocery bills. The excess produce will be shared with those that can utilize it.

The City Council approved the use of the City Hall Council Chambers as the site for a computer center for the elementary students of Hazleton to use. Five donated computers and two donated tables on which to place the computers will be utilized when the high speed internet is installed and ready for use. Volunteers will monitor the sessions when the computers are being used. This computer center goal of the Education Committee of Horizons is finally being fulfilled!

The second session of the Healthy Meals in a Hurry program was just as big a hit as the first session. Everyone marveled at the fretata and the black bean soup that the participants were privileged to eat. Take home samples were fantastic mealballs and cream soup base. In spite of the pouring rain, everyone enjoyed the results of the program.

The steering committee of Hazleton’s Horizons group met this week. Officers elected to continue the work of Horizons were president, secretary, and treasurer. The group voted to pay bills and establish an account for reciving donations when the IA tax ID number is received. The secretary reported on the 501C3 workshop she attended at the U of IA. Work will proceed when the online version is accessible. Thanks were extended to the Horizons coach that has worked diligently with Hazleton for the past 18 months as the steps of Horizons were completed.

Horizons was given a real boost this week when the Hazleton Housing Corporation awarded grants. The Education/Recreation Center Committee received a grant of $1,000. This money will be used to promote and establish a place for youth and adults to gather and enjoy socializing with others. If the city council agrees to install internet capabilities in the Legion Hall, the money will also be utilized for purchasing programs for the five donated computers that can be hooked up.

The Veterans Park Committee received a grant of $15,000. The money will be used to continue with the work of establishing a memorial for the six branches of the Armed Services plus recognizing the service of the National Guard.

That was one of the comments made after sampling the food prepared at the first “Healthy Meals in a Hurry” workshop. Participants learned about the importance of nutrition, yet found out about substituting other fruits and vegetables if some didn’t appeal to their taste. Being able to sample the fruits of their labor made believers of the participants!

May 12th is the much anticipated next and last session of Healthy Meals in a Hurry.

The second adult card playing session again was a hit! The group playing five hundred decided to change playing partners to mix it up a bit. Have you ever played peanuts? Well come join that group on May 16th and learn just how much fun you can have without having shucks with which to deal! You can have an afternoon of extreme fun for free.

With the return of the robins, gardners have gotten the itch to begin working the soil of a garden. The Community Garden committee met recently to work on rules and decisions concerning plots in the garden. Soil samples were sent in to determine the composition of the soil and its needs. Plots have been tilled and readied for initial use. It is the start of a new and exciting way for people to raise their own fresh produce and help lower their grocery bills!