Community collaboration enhances McGregor’s 300 Block
On Oct. 4, McGregor residents, visitors and community organizations celebrated the completion of what’s been termed the “300 Block Enhancement Project,” encompassing collaborative improvements to Artesian and Pocket parks as well as the patio area behind the McGregor Public Library. Here, Jenifer Westphal, Duane Boelman, Terri Strutt and Maria Brummel listen as McGregor Economic Development Director Brandi Crozier speaks at the event. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
As part of the 300 Block Enhancement Project, representatives from the Alexander McGregor Endowment presented $15,000 to the city of McGregor for improvements to Pocket Park.
In lieu of a ribbon cutting, 300 Block celebration attendees were encouraged to weave streamers through the new ornamental fencing. “Each color represents all the different people that were involved to make this project happen,” said Brandi Crozier. Pictured are Michael and Sara Petrie. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
Jenifer and Jeff Westphal were honored to help with improvements to Artesian Park, many of which were made possible with donations memorializing the late Joanne Collins-Stewart, Jenifer’s mother.
Taryn and Gretel Moser enjoyed viewing the story walk organized by the McGregor Public Library in Pocket Park.
In Pocket Park, next to the library, grass has replaced gravel. Trees will also be planted in the space to add beauty and shade.
As part of the 300 Block Enhancement Project, there is a new patio area behind the McGregor Public Library, which people enjoyed during Saturday's event.
A new sign was one of many improvements to Artesian Park.
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
McGregor residents, visitors and community organizations came together Oct. 4 to celebrate the completion of what’s been termed the “300 Block Enhancement Project,” encompassing collaborative improvements to Artesian and Pocket parks as well as the patio area behind the McGregor Public Library.
“Likeness inspires likeness, and that is exactly what this project is,” said McGregor Economic Development Director Brandi Crozier, who was one of several people to speak at the event.
In Artesian Park, behind the library, improvements included removing broken sidewalk and adding ornamental fencing, new tables and benches, a sign, playground border and trees and flowers.
With assistance from the McGregor Parks and Green Spaces Committee and McGregor Achievement Club, many enhancements were made possible through memorials in honor of the late Joanne Collins-Stewart.
“When Joanne Collins-Stewart passed away, her family wanted to do a memorial in the park because they grew up nearby, which was incredible. They made a lot of this possible with the memorials that were provided, either directly to our park board or to other local nonprofits here in the community or direct donations. I especially want to thank Jenifer and Jeff Westphal [Collins-Stewart’s daughter and son-in-law] for their contributions to this project as well,” Crozier said.
The Sny Magill Ice Fisheree Committee replaced swings and members of the Keenan family, who are also park neighbors, built a new planter and have helped maintain the park.
Maria Brummel, co-chair of the McGregor Parks and Green Spaces Committee, said she couldn’t think of a more appropriate project to memorialize Collins-Stewart, a master gardener.
“One of the things I remember about Joanne and gardening and flowers is, for a few years, she did the plantings at Pikes Peak as a volunteer, and they were stunning. Then I remember her having a greenhouse for a while on Main Street and selling plants, and I was able to buy a few things there,” Brummel recalled.
Jeff Westphal, speaking on behalf of wife Jenifer, said Artesian Park is a special place for the family.
“Playing in this park, learning softball, learning how to not get killed on the spinny thing. I’ve heard all the stories for 40 years and she can’t talk about the Artesian Park without getting choked up,” Westphal shared. “That’s her childhood right there, and there’s more kids to come. It’s just nothing but absolute joy for Jen and myself to contribute what we can, along with the fabulous members of the community, and all the work Brandi did to make this happen.”
In Pocket Park, next to the library, grass has now replaced a gravel lot thanks to the Alexander McGregor Endowment. The organization also funded stairs that connect Pocket to Artesian Park, over the storm sewer. In the spring, trees will be planted to add natural beauty and shade.
“Now,” noted Crozier, “it’s the start of something that is actually a useful space.”
Speaking for the Alexander McGregor Endowment, Duane Boelman said the Pocket Park site has a long history in McGregor. A historic building that housed, among other businesses, the Bickel Meat and Grocery Market from 1912 to 1955, was tragically lost in the 2017 tornado. Fred and Melanie Petrie donated the land, and the park was built using funds collected by the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque for tornado recovery efforts. It was dedicated in memory of Roger Witter, who died while cleaning up tornado damage.
Remaining funds were used as seed money to establish the Alexander McGregor Endowment, “which continues to grow and give back to the community,” stated Boelman.
Amanda Diers from the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque said the endowment is striving to grow even more through the Small-Town Dreams Initiative.
“It was funded by an anonymous donor who had grown up near the Mississippi River and brought in an endowment-building challenge grant to small towns like McGregor. The leadership team of nine people would need to raise $375,000 to receive $75,000 to go into the endowment fund from the donor and then an additional $25,000 to celebrate and support projects like Pocket Park,” she explained. “Their annual payout will continue to grow over time and continue to support projects throughout the community.”
The third part of the 300 Block Enhancement Project redeveloped space behind the McGregor Public Library. Library board member Terri Strutt said work was broken into three phases. The first was removing an old wooden deck and the second included fencing, electrical lights and a new cement patio.
Next up is phase three: the addition of furniture and a pergola to provide shade for library programming.
“The McGregor Public Library Foundation, of which I am also a member, funded the concrete work and we also sponsored a grant to the Upper Mississippi Gaming Commission to help us fund phase three,” Strutt told those gathered. “Our foundation is kind of a hidden secret. We formed in 2016, and the purpose of the foundation is to supplement the library with the budget that is set by the city for the library. The concrete patio project is the exact type of project that came to us as an unexpected expense when the budget for the library had already been set. So the foundation was glad to have money enough to pay for that.”
Crozier complimented the library’s work.
“They helped piece together all of this so it could be a unified, useful space,” she said.
Boelman offered the 300 Block Enhancement Project as a prime example of “the power of collaboration and shared vision.”
“Three distinct, yet interconnected, projects have come together to create something truly special. This collaboration exemplifies what Alexander McGregor would have envisioned,” Boelman said. “Neighbors coming together to build something greater than the sum of its parts. These three adjoining areas are now one unified space where our community can reflect, gather and thrive.
Crozier, whom many attendees commended for her role in the efforts, couldn’t recall a time in recent memory when so many different entities were involved in bringing a project to fruition.
She thanked not only the organizations, but “the library staff, the park neighbors, our public works, the McGregor City Council. Everybody came together to make this project happen.”
While Saturday’s event was originally billed as a ribbon cutting, Crozier felt the collaboration warranted something a little different. Offering a basket filled with various-colored streamers, she encouraged attendees to weave the strands through the new ornamental fencing.
“Each color represents all the different people that were involved to make this project happen,” she said.
