This podcast is about The Newton Optimist Club. In the podcast we find out what the Optimist Club is all about. I speak with some members of the Optimist Club and talk to them about why they wanted to join this organization. I also talk to them about their creed and what they have as their fund raisers and projects. Don't forget you can always check out the video and see some of the members of The Newton Optimists Club at outandaboutwithjamiegrout.com and on my Out And About With Jamie Gout YouTube channel.

Edith Renfrow Smith, the first black woman to graduate from Grinnell College, passed away recently at the age of 111. In her honor I decided to rerun a "best of" podcast with Monique Shore who was friends with Edith Renfrow Smith and has written a book about her life called "No One Is Better Than You"

This podcast is with the Producer, Director, Writer and some other the cast members of the locally produced movie Littles. The movie will be shown later this month at The Capitol 2 Theatres in Newton. It's a unique kind of movie where this cast is all children. We discuss where the idea where the idea of the movie came from and how it as produced. I also discussed the movie with the children in the movie about the characters who they portray.

RSVP is a great program in Poweshiek County that provides volunteer opportunities for folks 55 and older to help out with various programs to be a pen pal to you youth, to be a companion to "shut ins," help with folks who are food insecure and volunteer at the Mayflower. In this podcast I speak with volunteer coordinator Ashley Sorensen about the various programs and how folks can volunteer for those programs.

This podcast is with Newton High School Principal Michael Dale. In this podcast Michael tells us a bit about his history from his football playing days at Drake University to his days as Associate Principal at Marshalltown High School. He talks about how education has changed since he has become an educator and some of the goals he would like to see NHS achieve as Principal. He also discusses some of the things he takes Newton Cardinal Pride in as the Newton High School Principal.

On this podcast I speak with Jonathan Curiel and Mary Tiso about their glass art business Fuego Hot Glass. They tell us about the art of glass blowing. Please check out the video on outandaboutwithjamiegrout.com or my Out And About With Jamie Grout YouTube channel for a demonstration of glass blowing . The word of mouth about their business is spreading throughout the community as I was told about them from my friend Wade Sheeler who suggested that this might make for a good podcast, and he was right. Fuego Hot Glass is located in an alley right next to Advantage Credit Union in Newton at 111 West 3rd Street North. You can also contact them on Facebook and Instagram. I had a very nice but short conversation with Jonathan and Mary in the podcast but the video demonstration was longer but very interesting and, again, I would like to encourage you to check out the video by checking out the link to see how they make these beautiful works of art.

It's been over a year since I first spoke with Erin Bustin, Exectuive Director of The Grinnell School Of Music. When I first spoke with Erin, The Grinnell School Of Music hadn't even started yet and they were still putting the finishing touches on the building. Now, it's been over a year that The Grinnell School Of Music has been in operation. It seems the school has come a long way in a year. In this podcast I get caught up with Erin and find out what has happened in the past year and what has happened with the non-profit. Erin reminds us of what the mission of the Grinnell School Of Music is all about and the different classes they have plus how students can get enrolled and how folks can contribute to this great cause.

The lighting of The Jasper County Courthouse has become a tradition in Newton for the past several years. The tradition was actually started in the 1930's but was interrupted years later when the Jasper County Board Of Supervisors said they didn't have the funding to support the lighting of the courthouse anymore. A group of folks headed up by Don Knight got together and with time and money brought back the courthouse lights after quite a bit of hard work. In this "best of" podcast that I ran about a month ago I speak with Steve Knight who carries on this tradition for his father and the people who love the rich tradition of he courthouse being lit up every year during holiday time.

I was glad to be involved with WHO & KXNO'S Two Day's Of Compassion fund drive for Variety The Children's Charity last Thursday & Friday. Variety, as you will find out in this podcast, helps with a number of children's charities including the one the I helped to get started many years ago. In this podcast Allison explains all the different programs that Variety is involved in. The Compassion project is just one of the programs. If you would like to know about Variety go to their website: varietyiowa.com

An article on Facebook caught my attention about a a student at Grinnell College who works at McNally's that did a food drive for Mi.I.C.A. which was real successful. This gave me the idea to replay a podcast I did earlier in the year about M.I.C.A. and organization that helps to fight food insecurity in many counties around Iowa. In this podcast I speak with the Communications Director of M.I.C.A. on what the organization is all about and the different ways they fight food insecurity. This podcast was podcast was part of a series I did on food insecurity where I had previously did an interview with Captain Tim North of the Salvation Army in Newton. By the way you want to sign up to ring bells in The Red Kettle Campaign for the Salvation Army in Newton you can go to this website: registertoring.org.