Last Thursday, KJAN News told you that the Iowa West Foundation (IWF) had announced its 4th Quarter 2012 grant recipients, which included the City of Kimballton, for park and trail improvements. Jill Madsen, chair of the Little Mermaid Trail Committee, says the $38,000 IWF grant will be used for the Kimballton City Park portion of the project.

Late last fall Kimballton city employees and volunteers disassembled and hauled away old playground equipment to make room for new equipment that’s been ordered and scheduled to be installed in the spring of 2013.  The park improvements also call for construction of a new public restroom.

“Thumbelina” print, one of 6 sketches to be turned into a 3-D bronze sculpture.

And, as we mentioned last month, an entirely new addition to the park will include sculptures of the most famous of the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s characters. The sculptures will be mounted on pedestals containing speakers where visitors will be able to listen to the famous tales.  Troy Muller, Art Director of Century Art Guild in Kimballton has been contracted to create the bronze sculptures.

The Danish Villages of Elk Horn/Kimballton were designated as an Iowa “Great Place” in 2010 and since that time has completed the first leg of the Little Mermaid Trail, running six-tenths of a mile west of The Danish Immigrant Museum.   This second project was recently awarded $111,410 from the Great Places program for the Kimballton Park.

To help raise funds to complete the project, the committee is offering sponsorships of the bronze statues.  A $1,000 donation will get your name on one of the statues that will be erected. If you would like to find out more about how you can contribute to the park project, please contact Jill Madsen, 712-764-6161 or email her at jill@metc.net.