Four Manning organizations were awarded grants through the Refresh Manning 2017 Trust Fund in a special presentation Friday afternoon. The Manning Public Library will be using their $595 award for the purchase of a portable video projector and screen. The City of Manning was granted $655 to help with the development of an Outdoor Learning Environment at Trestle Park. The new park is currently under construction and working to implement both guided and unguided learning elements for children and adults with an interest in exploration. The total cost of plans from JEO Consulting for that project is about $16,000, with $10,000 funded through the Iowa Living Roadways program. This donation will kick-start the remaining $6,000 of local fundraising. The Leet-Hassler Farmstead in Manning’s Hausbarn Heritage Park was presented with $1,500 to assist with the purchase and installation of a $2,200 furnace for the farmstead home. And the fourth and final grant of $2,000 was presented to the Manning Child Care Center to pool with their own funds for the replacement of a defective dish sanitizer. Due to the generosity of several different local donors, the Refresh Manning Trust Fund has grown significantly over the past year. This allowed the charitable organization to provide $4,750 in awards as compared to $1,600 in 2016.
