6 Life-size Kaleidoscope Finished for PoCo in 2024

Thanks to the Rural Enrichment Grant from Iowa Economic Development Authority and the governor’s Empower Rural Iowa initiative, the Pocahontas County Visioning Committee was able to fund the fabrication and installation of 6 life-size kaleidoscopes throughout 2024 in Pocahontas County. These kaleidoscopes were installed in the communities of Rolfe, Fonda, Pocahontas, Laurens, as well as the county parks of Little Clear Lake and Cooper’s Cove. The two scopes at the county parks have been taken down for the winter, while the ones in the communities are up and available to view throughout the winter season.

The idea from this project originated from the Inspire PoCo Leadership Class and was adopted by the Pocahontas County Visioning Committee to be executed. Thanks to funding from the Visioning Committee and Pocahontas County Economic Development Commission (PCEDC), the necessary matching funds were available to secure the Enrichment Grant from IEDA, which was applied for in partnership between PCEDC and the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Visioning Committee.

As each kaleidoscope was installed, The Record-Democrat newspaper did a wonderful job spotlighting each of the installations and progress of the project. The project received much attention locally thanks to their help, but it also caught the attention across the state of Iowa. It was presented on during the 2024 Iowa Downtown Conference as well mentioned during the 2024 Iowa Downtown Forum session held in Pocahontas at the Rialto Theatre in June.

While this project has made great progress so far, it is not done yet. The original goal was for each of the 9 communities in Pocahontas County to have a scope of its own. Thanks to the Pocahontas Area Rotary Club, two more scopes are on their way to being installed in 2025. They have secured a Rotary District Grant for $5,000, and will provide matching funds so that a scope can be placed in Gilmore City at Sunset Park as well as in Palmer in their downtown area near Panther Park.

You can find the kaleidoscopes at the following areas in each of the communities:

• Rolfe – Streit Park
  Fonda – North Park / Swimming Pool
  Pocahontas – Gateway Park (across from Pocahontas Inn & Suites)
  Laurens – Sportsman Park
  Little Clear Lake – Near the playground equipment.
  Cooper’s Cove – Near the campgrounds and playground.

Next year signage will be installed to make sure visitors know where to find the other scopes, and a dedicated webpage will be set up on the Discover PoCo website as an “all in one” location to find everything you want to know about these attractive scopes. Keep an eye on our blog for more information about the installation of the next two scopes.

If you are willing to help with the installation of these kaleidoscopes in Havelock, Plover, and Varina, please contact MaryJo Litwiller at litwiller@iowacentral.edu.