Urbandale and Johnston News
Learn about Cub Scout packs tonight
Cub Scout informational sessions for students in the Johnston school district will be held over the next few weeks. Cub Scouts is open to first- through fifth-grade boys.
Stop by to learn more about Scouting at one of five sessions:
Pack 98: 6:30 tonight at Horizon Elementary School, 5905 N.W. 100th St.
• Pack 62: 7 tonight at Wallace Elementary School, 6510 N.W. 62nd Ave.
• Pack 244: 7 tonight at Beaver Creek Elementary School, 8701 Lyndhurst Drive.
• Pack 29: 7 tonight at St. James Lutheran Church, 5665 Merle Hay Road (for students at Lawson Elementary School).
• Pack 31: Sept. 11 at Timber Ridge Elementary School, 7370 N.W. 54th Ave., time to be determined.
Shred event destroys personal papers
The Mokosak Advisory Group, a financial advisory business at 2900 100th St., Suite 102, in Urbandale, will host its first “Shred and Share” event from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday.
Get your unwanted papers shredded at no cost by an on-site, professional Shred-It truck.
The business also will collect food and personal care items to be donated to the Urbandale Food Pantry.
For information contact the Mokosak Advisory Group at 515-223-5404 or liddy@mokosakag.com.
Looking for little artists in Grimes
Kids who like to interact and show their creative side will get to paint, create and sculpt a masterpiece of their own every week in the Little Artist program at Grimes Community Complex.
Registration is now open for four school-year sessions for the class designed for kids in grades K-5. Each session will have different projects. The cost is $25 per session for four classes.
Kids in grades K-2 will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and grades 3-5 from 6:30 to 7:20 p.m. Session start dates are Oct. 6, Nov. 10, Jan. 12 and March 23.
Preregistration is required at www.grimesiowa.gov/ParksandRecreation or you may pay with cash or check and register in person or by mailing registration to Grimes Park and Recreation, Grimes Community Complex, 410 S.E. Main St., Grimes, Ia 50111.
UCAN seeking new board members
Board members are being sought for the nonprofit Urbandale Community Action Network, known as UCAN.
Board members serve a three-year term and are expected to be actively engaged in at least one of UCAN’s sub-committees: Activities/Events, Caring Corps, Communications, Fundraising, Neighborhoods, Friends of the Parks, Leadership Urbandale, or u-Fit.
Interested candidates may contact UCAN Program Coordinator Mary Polson at 515-278-3936 or via email at info@urbandalenetwork.org for more information, or visit the UCAN website, www.urbandalenework.org, for an application.
Completed applications may be emailed to info@urbandalenetwork.org or mailed to UCAN, P.O. Box 7615, Urbandale, Ia. 50323 by Sept. 15.
Tag monarchs and learn about migration
With the monarch butterflies heading south for the winter, the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City will hold a special Monarch Madness, catch, tag and release event from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday.
Monarch Madness is a way to learn more about monarch butterflies’ migration from Canada to Mexico to live out the winter. Tagging monarchs helps scientists answer questions about the butterflies’ lives, track migration and learn more about their changing migration and habitat needs.
A brief introduction and monarch talk will begin at 9:15 a.m. and groups will be formed to tag starting at 9:30 a.m. At 11 a.m. participants will learn how many were tagged during the project.
It is free and open to the public of all ages. No prior experience is necessary and butterfly nets will be provided to help capture and tag the monarchs. Space is limited; register by calling 515-994-3400 or email megan_wandag@fws.gov.