I had heard about Stew Makerspace but really didn't know anything about it. I had driven by it, I had done podcast with Monica and others from across the street at Grinnell Area Arts and The Community Theatre but never at The Stew. Finally I had heard about the pottery classes they were having and decided to find out more about this place. When I got there I got the tour from Craig, the Program Director of the place and found that it was much bigger than I thought it would be. As you will see from the video, they use their space for all kinds of crafting from woodworking to pottery. Enjoy the audio podcast but make sure you check out the video tour either on the link below our on The Out And About With Jamie Grout YouTube channel and find out what The Stew Makerspace is all about.

In this podcast I speak with Ida who talks about all the events coming up at the Newton Arboretum. At The Arboretum their motto is create, grow, bloom and discover your peace of nature. The Arboretum is 6 acres of arboretum and gardens and 13 acres of seedling prairie. They have a volunteer Board of Directors. Listen to the podcast and find out about all the programs and events The Arboretum has coming up in the next several months.

The Newton Rotary Club has been around for a long time. Rotary is tied in with their organization Rotary International is a service organization that strives to help locally and worldwide. In this podcast I speak with Wade Sheeler who is the current President of The Newton Rotary Club. In this podcast Wade talks about all the projects Rotary takes on both internationally and locally. He also talks about what happens at meetings and how often they meet, I can endorse Newton Rotary having been a past board member and President of the organization. I really enjoy getting together with my Rotary brothers and sisters every Tuesday at noon at the DMACC Newton campus to enjoy a great program and meal. Come on up and join us sometime and enjoy this podcast.

Today's podcast focuses on the many things going on in Grinnell in the next 30 to 60 days. If you are looking for something to do or somewhere to go in the Grinnell area listen up, you might get some ideas from this podcast.

In this podcast the topic is The Newton Kiwanis Club. Many times I have spoken with Tim North as Captain Tim North of The Salvation Army, but this time I am speaking with Tim as President of The Newton Kiwanis Club. Kiwanis International is a global volunteer organization dedicated to improving children's lives, with over 80 countries represented. Members participate in service projects, such as building playgrounds or mentoring and raise nearly 480 million dollars annually. The Newton Kiwanis Club does many of these same kinds of things as you will find out in this podcast. Since I am in Newton Rotary and Tim is in Kiwanis we give each other a hard time about it but both service organizations do a great job in helping the communities they serve. If you would like to attend a Newton Kiwanis Club meeting or would like more information on Newton Kiwanis contact Tim at The Newton Salvation Army at 641 792 6131

This is a "best of" podcast with Iowa's Masonic Grand Master Wade Sheeler. When this podcast was recorded Wade was Secretary of The Masonic Lodge of Newton. I've been a Mason for a number of years. My dad was a Mason, my grandfather was a mason, my great uncle was a mason and my mom was a Grand Worthy Matron of The Eastern Star which is the women's side of The Masonic Lodge. In this podcast Wade tries to dispel the myth that masonry is a religion. He talks openly about many of the rituals of masonry and what they are based on. Don't forget to check out the video of my interview with Wade where he gives a tour of Newton's Masonic Lodge and the symbols within the lodge hall.

In this podcast I repeat my podcast I did with Anne Harris who is the President of Grinnell College. President Harris talks about all the positive aspects of the college and how the college strives to work with the community. As you will hear President Harris is an energetic force who talks about the bright future of Grinnell College and the various classes they offer and how she takes pride in the school being called "The Harvard Of The Midwest."

It's time for another Out And About With Jamie Grout podcast and this time I chat with Newton Community Theatre Administrator and Director of the play Three Viewings Sue Beukema. Sue talks about the plot of the play and the cast members. One different aspect of the play is that on the 19th of February NCT is having a "pay what you can" night where you can play whatever you can afford to watch the presentation of Three Viewings. Sue also talks about the upcoming season at The Newton Community Theatre. It sounds like the theatre has some exciting performances one the way including the smash broadway hit ANNIE.

A few weeks ago I was having lunch with Iowa radio legend Van Harden. He suggested that I ask folks on Facebook who is the funniest person in Newton? Some people suggested Mark Allen. Mark is known in Newton for being a financial advisor, the inventor of the Moose Grill and being involved in The Mercy One Foundation. But to Iowans he might be known for being the morning sports reporter on the Van & Bonnie show on WHO Radio. It's a bit ironic that Van would suggest this topic and the person's name that comes up is someone who was on his radio show for a number of years. I think you'll enjoy Marks funny stories about his kids. He even has a funny story about working with Van at a golf course where he and Van had to wear a suit of armour. Enjoy!

This podcast is with Kent Reed who is the founder of American Braun and The Solace Center located in the Masonic Lodge in downtown Grinnell. American Braun is an organization that helps First Responders and Firefighters. The Solace Center is an organization that strives to help active and retired military folks who are dealing with PTSD with the battles they are facing. In this podcast Kent tells us about how the first responders saved his life and how he got the idea to pay them back by starting American Braun and after that starting The Solace Center.