Saturday, June 13, 2009

Open House at Abbott Realty


Kathy Stanbrough is the new owner/broker of Abbott Realty. You can find her at 2 First St. NW in Hampton (corner of Hwy 3 and 1st). Kathy’s email is Kathy@abbottrealty.us and her cell phone is 641-430-3821.

It’s great news for Hampton to see a young person settle here and stay here! Abbott Realty Open House is Tuesday October 16 from 9 to 5. Why not stop by and find out what Kathy’s up to these days?





Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Friday, June 12, 2009

What's Up In The Garden


by Jackie Dohlman, Franklin County Master Gardener

Tips on Controlling Weeds in the Garden

Weeds are those annoying plants that gardeners love to hate. In the garden, weeds compete with desirable plants for water, nutrients, sunlight and growing space. They also may harbor insects and diseases. Allowed to run rampant in the garden, weeds can drastically reduce yields of fruits and vegetables. In addition, they hinder the performance of annual and perennial flowers.

The first step in weed control is identification of the weed or weeds. The type of weed helps determine the best method of control. The two main types of weeds are annuals and perennials. Annual weeds germinate from seeds, grow, flower, set seed and die within one year. Perennial weeds live for three or more years. Most perennial weeds die back to the ground in fall, but their crowns or roots produce new shoots in spring. Weeds also can be classified as broadleaf weeds or grasses.

There are three general methods of weed control in the home garden: cultivation (hoeing and tilling) and hand pulling, mulches and herbicides.

Cultivation and hand pulling effectively control most annual weeds. Perennial weeds are often more difficult to control. Repeated cultivation is often necessary to destroy some perennial weeds. When cultivating the garden, avoid deep tillage. The roots of many vegetables, fruits and flowers grow near the soil surface. Deep cultivation will cut off some of these roots. Also, deep cultivation will bring deeply buried weed seeds to the soil surface where they can germinate. Hoe or till around plants or between plant rows, and pull weeds close to plants.

To effectively control weeds, cultivation and hand pulling must be done periodically through the growing season. Small weeds are much easier to control than large weeds. It’s also important to destroy the weeds before they have a chance to go to seed.

Mulches control weeds by preventing the germination of annual and perennial weed seeds. Established weeds should be destroyed prior to the application of the mulch. In addition to weed control, mulches help conserve soil moisture, reduce soil erosion, prevent crusting of the soil surface, keep fruits and vegetables clean and may reduce disease problems.

Grass clippings, shredded leaves and weed-free straw are excellent mulches for vegetable gardens and annual flower beds. Apply several inches of these materials in early June after the soil has warmed sufficiently. Plant growth may be slowed if these materials are applied when soil temperatures are still cool in early spring. Grass clippings, shredded leaves and similar materials break down relatively quickly and can be tilled into the soil in fall.

Wood chips and shredded bark are excellent mulches for perennial beds and areas around trees and shrubs. Apply two to four inches of material around landscape plantings. These materials decay slowly and should last a few years. However, it’s often necessary to apply additional material annually to retain the desired depth.

Herbicides can be used to supplement cultivation, hand pulling and mulches. However, several limitations prevent the extensive use of herbicides in the garden. Only a small number of herbicides are available to home gardeners. Additionally, most home gardens contain a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers. No one herbicide can be safely used around all garden and landscape plants. If not applied properly, herbicides may cause unintended damage to fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Herbicides are pesticides. When using any pesticide, carefully read and follow label directions.

Weeds are a persistent problem for home gardeners. However, weeds can be effectively controlled by cultivation, hand pulling, mulches and (on occasion) herbicides. Persistence is the key. Gardeners need to be as persistent with their weed control efforts as weeds are in coming back again, and again and again.

Got gardening questions? Contact the Hortline at (515) 294-3108 (Monday - Friday; 10 a.m. -12 noon and 1 - 4:30 p.m.) or send an e-mail to hortline@iastate.edu. For more gardening information visit us at Yard and Garden Online at www.yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu









18th Annual Car Show

18th Annual Car Show


Noon to 4 pm Bandshell Park

18th Annual Car Show sponsored by the Hampton Firefighters Association.

Dash Plaques for all entries
Trophies awarded
Special car displays and demonstrations
Toy pedal tractor pull contest
Valve cover races
Live D.J.
Entertainment and games for all ages

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Tips For An Effective Meeting


I spend a lot of time in meetings. I listen well, offer a few thoughts and often leave wondering what I'm supposed to be doing next. Here's 9 tips for hosting a successful meeting.

1. Honest dialogue with everyone involved.

2. Appoint one person as the leader – and not necessarily the highest ranking official.

3. Keep the meeting no longer than 45 minutes.

4. End each meeting with “Who does what by when?”

5. Begin follow up meetings with a list of completed tasks.

6. Disregard the competition – who knows if they are doing things right.

7. Speak so everyone can understand.

8. Be kind. No one person is more important than another.

9. Send follow up notes to the participants – it helps keep everyone on the same page.

photo found at flickr.com

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Summertime Food Safety


Summertime means picnics in the park, vacation trips by car and outdoor grilling. It also means people are on the go and more food is eaten away from home. Because temperatures are warmer, we have to be especially careful about buying, storing, preparing and eating food in the summertime.

Here are some suggestions to prevent food contamination.

AT THE STORE
· Buy meat and other perishables at the end of your shopping trip, take them directly home and store properly.
· If buying deli meats or cooked meats for a picnic, take them home and refrigerate promptly. Or put them in the picnic cooler.
·Purchase extra ice or ice packs for your insulated cooler.

IN YOUR KITCHEN
· Always wash hands before preparing food and keep work surface and utensils clean, washing them in hot, soapy water.
· Freeze frankfurters and hamburger patties if you plan to carry them to a grill-site. They will help keep other foods chilled.
· Do not thaw meat or other foods on the kitchen counter; allow time to thaw meat, wrapped, in the refrigerator or thaw and cook at the same time.
· Do not partially cook or microcook meat for later grilling. Cook food completely, if cooking ahead, then refrigerate, pack in cooler and reheat on the grill.

PACKING PICNIC FOOD
· Use well-insulated coolers that are large enough for the ice packs or ice plus your food.
· Pack hot foods in an insulated container so they will stay hot.
· Pack refrigerated food just before leaving home and pack it in reverse order of use.
· Bring along disposable alcohol-based hand wipes so you can keep hands clean while preparing food on site.
· If grilling, be sure to pack clean plates or extra paper plates for the cooked foods, to avoid cross contamination or raw and cooked food.
· For picnic sandwiches, experts say it’s safer to prepare them in advance and pack them cold. The more food in handled, the more changes there are for spreading bacteria.

TRAVEL TIPS
· Store cooler in the car rather than in the trunk, which is hotter.
· Keep cooler out of the sun, in the car and at the picnic site.
· Avoid opening the cooler frequently.

ON-SITE COOKING AND CLEAN-UP
· Keep food in cooler until ready to cook and/or serve it.
· USDA/FSIS recommends that hamburgers should be cooked to 160° F or until they are only slightly pink.
· Use a clean plate and utensils for serving grilled meats.
· In hot weather, do not leave meat and other perishable foods out of the refrigerator or cooler for more than an hour.
· Leftovers may be a problem. Discard if they have been out of the cooler for long or if you do not have sufficient ice to keep them cold on the way home. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

picture courtesy of flickr.com


Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Row Row Row Your Boat

Iowa River Paddle & Picnic

June 13, Steamboat Rock

Celebrate the beauty and history of the scenic Iowa River. Join Iowa Representative Annette Sweeney and the Southfork Watershed Alliance on Saturday, June 13th for a community paddle and river program highlighting the conservation and water quality efforts taking place in the watershed, the recreational opportunities along the river and ways we can work towards enhancing the river conditions and water quality in the area. 


Registration starts at 10 a.m. in Steamboat Rock. Paddle participants will be shuttled to Eagle City to start the river tour at 11 a.m. River conditions will determine tour pace. The tour will end at the Boat Club in Steamboat Rock with a picnic and river program. 


The tour and program are free and open to the public and will take place rain or shine (rain cancels the tour only). Canoes, safety equipment and meals are available upon reservation and at no additional cost to participants. There is limited registration – RSVP with event coordinator as soon as possible. To RSVP or for more information, visit: www.southforkwatershed.org or contact Dave Sweeney, event coordinator, 641-373-4340 (cell); dsweeney@iowatelecom.net.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Coffee Big Success!


The Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce met at First National Bank for their Quarterly Coffee on June 5. The basement meeting room was a packed house attended by Chamber members and their guests. There were many new people introduced as new members and recognition was given to new employees, those retiring from the work force and to promotions. It was a lot of fun and there is a new energy in the Chamber!

Brook Boehmler, the new Executive Director for the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, made several announcements. Tuesday on the Town will occur June 16. The retail stores will remain open until 8 pm, Farmers Market is open from 5 to 7 pm, and the Municipal Band Concert starts at 8 pm. KLMJ is also sponsoring a live concert as a part of Tuesday on the Town by the Farmer’s Market from 5 to 7 pm, featuring Clay Underwood, an up and coming country western singer! The Chamber is sponsoring the Fair parade this year and Brook is excited to be involved and looking for Chamber businesses to be in the parade. Junk It In June is June 20th and the Chamber members will be out in full force. The Chamber Ambassadors will be around town this summer to visit with businesses as well.

Dave Hueberger from First National Bank was the Master of Ceremonies.. Brook Boehlmer introduced the new Chamber Members. They are: Leslie, Kline, Lukas and Associates; First Congregational UCC; Cuts on the Corner; Debworks; Four Seasons Services; and Advanced Systems Inc. Recognized for achieving certification status and/or awards were Mort’s Water Company; Iowa Farm Bureau 2009 Ag Leaders Institute; and Castle, Dick and Kelch.

New employees introduced by various Ambassadors were: Elizabeth Sukup from Sukup Manufacturing, Jackie Montanez from Franklin Financial Services; Dr. Crystal Menken from Mental Health Center of North Iowa; Whitney Pralle from Franklin County Lumber; Christi Wearda from United Bank and Trust, Terry Manning Beeds Lake Park Ranger, Randy Heitz from Farm Bureau Franklin Financial Services and Uriah Hansen volunteer at Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Retiring from their current positions this year were Dennis Carlson, Dr. Richard Parker. Belen Krabbe is celebrating 25 years of service at Franklin Financial Services.

picture courtesy of flickr.com

About Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce:

Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit agency designed to meet the Hampton area business community needs. It is a voluntary organization of individuals and business that band together to advance the commercial, financial, industrial and civic interests of the Hampton area.


Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Sharing Health Care Stories


You are invited to share your health care story or that of someone close to you.

Location: Mildred Van Hove's House at 121 Windsor Boulevard in Hampton.

Time: Thursday, June 11, 7 to 8 pm

Agenda: Sharing health care stories and planning for National Care Day of Service June 27

The stories will be compiled and sent to President Obama. This will help to highlight the urgency for Congress to pass comprehensive health care reform that will:
1) reduce costs
2) guarantee choice, and
3) ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care.

Additional information about health care is available at www.HealthReform.gov.

One of the keys to handling our deficit and our debt is to get a handle on out of control health care costs. In the last eight years, health care premiums have grown four times faster than wages. An additional nine million Americans have become uninsured. The cost of health care now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds.

For the National Health Care Day of Service in Franklin County on June 27th, volunteers will be visiting nursing homes, shut-ins, or providing respite car for those caring for their sick loved ones at home.

Unable to attend on the 11th? Please contact Julie Ziesman at 641-751-6014. She will send you a form you can fill out with your health care story!

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