Ida Grove leaders focus on happy, healthy 2017

Clough and Goodman are co-chairs of the King Theatre Renovation Board, a group breathing new life into Ida Grove's 250-seat theater that's been closed since 2010.

"I was the kind of guy who was annoyed when two guys side-by-side would talk while working out," Clough said with a laugh. "And Ryan IS THAT GUY! We work out and talk city business, Kiwanis, the theater."

The pair also visit about family life, the issue that likely landed them at the Ida Grove Rec Center in the first place, as Clough's daughter and her husband, Samantha and Korby Trautman of St. Joseph, Missouri, are looking to adopt a child in 2017.

"With a life change like that, I wanted to be sure I was around for many more years," Clough said. "That's the driving force. You know, as we get older, it's harder to stay in shape. We just had to get moving."

Ryan Goodman, 45, aims to get in better shape while losing up to 60 pounds. The Iowa State Cyclone supporter pulsed to cut pasta and breads from his diet, while eating foods rich in protein.

Clough, an Iowa Hawkeye stalwart, tracks his fitness on My Fitness Pal. The 52-year-old attempts a daily calorie intake of less than 1,500 in his push to lose 25 pounds.

Beyond their own well-being, this pair always has the health of Ida Grove in mind. Both worked with the Ida Grove Kiwanis over the past few years in developing the spectacular new Little League athletic complex north of OABCIG High School. A Christmas ball Goodman helped lead last month raised more than $30,000 to help pay off items for those fields.

"If you consider all the work Ryan does for our community, he really should weigh 2 pounds," Clough said.

Clough, a former high school English teacher who works as a customer service manager for Midwest Industries, said he often heightens awareness concerning community endeavors through his skill as a writer. Goodman, on the other hand, keeps the momentum going, rarely settling for status quo.

That's how it came to be for the King Theatre, a stately 103-year-old site built by Lee Horn. Clough called a meeting in 2015 to discuss the possibilities for a facility that, thankfully, hadn't been razed. By the end of that meeting, Clough had contributions totalling $500, an amount that represented a vote of confidence.

Ida Grove City Clerk Edie Ball then worked with the new board on a couple of Iowa Department of Natural Resources grants. Those efforts came through, helping the board achieve a goal to remove asbestos and fix a leaky roof. The board secured the services of Derek O'Neil, an architect with Alley Poyner & Macchietto of Red Oak, Iowa. O'Neil is a natural fit as he serves as a volunteer projectionist at the Grand Theatre in Red Oak.

On Jan. 24, O'Neil will present operations options to community members in a 2 1/2-hour discussion that will delve into specifics.

"Disney movies sell extremely well in a town like Ida Grove," Clough said. "The Grand Theatre, for example, won't show an R-rated movie."

Such a family-first bent might serve King Theatre supporters as well, the city councilman indicated.

"We also want to be reasonably priced," Clough added. "We know people will drive to Sioux City and to Holstein (where a restored theater opened last September). Our goal isn't to compete with those places. We want to find out how we should operate."

A volunteer roster now featuring 50 people is expected to grow as construction efforts proceed. Already, the King Theatre Renovation Board has been aided by all sorts of private contributions as well as gifts from United Bank of Iowa and the Ida Grove Economic Development Corporation.

The aim, according to Clough, is to one day return the King Theatre to a place of prominence in the Ida County seat, a vital organ, if you will, that will work in sync for decades within a healthy body that is this community.