News

Myers Park Dedication: Featuring Cajun Fest and Friends

Saturday, June 28th 2025
2:00pm – 6:00pm

Please join us on Saturday, June 28, 2:00 – 6:00 pm for the official dedication and celebration of Myers Park at the Mickle Center.

We’ll enjoy our new park, and we’ll be joined by the friendly team at Cajun Fest who have graciously offered to do a neighborhood-style crawfish boil for us.

Bring your whole crew to play on the new equipment, meet neighbors, and discover more ways to get involved with the community around you.

Learn more about the history and effort behind bringing a park back to Sherman Hill here.

the good butcher

New Local Butcher Shop In Sherman Hill

Sherman Hill is now home to The Good Butcher, a local meat and gourmet food shop offering high-quality cuts and specialty items. 

Founded in October 2024 by Calvin Schnucker, The Good Butcher was born from a desire to give Des Moines access to premium, sustainably sourced meats. Located just steps from downtown and the gateway to DSM, the shop features grass-fed Iowa beef, local and international gourmet products, and Calvin’s specialty: Italian-style dry-cured meats, developed over 15 years of passionate experimentation.


Calvin saw too much of Iowa’s best meat being shipped away—and decided it was time to change that. Stop by to experience what local, thoughtfully sourced meat really tastes like.

Visit their website for hours and contact information.

Annual Neighborhood Spring Cleanup Event

Saturday, April 26th & Sunday, April 27th

Our annual neighborhood Spring Clean Up day is back. It’s time for some outdoor spring cleaning and readying our yards for the grass and flowers soon to come. The Sherman Hill Association is providing the neighborhood with one large dumpster for the disposal of yard waste.

  • WHEN: Saturday, April 26th & Sunday 27th
  • WHERE: 1508 High Street (gravel lot across from Adong)
  • WHAT: YARD WASTE ONLY

Acceptable Yard Waste Materials:

  • Grass/Lawn Clippings/Weeds/Leaves
  • Green Plants – Dead Plants
  • Small Tree Branches and Shrubs
  • Small Wood Chips and Sawdust
  • Garden Trimmings

Unacceptable Materials:

  • Plastic Bags/Plastic items
  • Pet Waste
  • Palm Fronds
  • Soil/Dirt/Rocks
  • Treated Wood/Building Materials

Any unacceptable materials will result in the Sherman Hill Association incurring a large penalty charge.

Join us for our Q4 Neighborhood Meeting & festive Cookie Swap

Q4 Neighborhood Meeting
Thursday, December 5th | 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Help shape the future of Sherman Hill!

Join us for our last Neighborhood Meeting of 2024, and celebrate the season with a festive Cookie Swap and pizza dinner! Let’s come together to reflect on the year and look ahead to the future of our community.

All Sherman Hill Association members and neighbors are invited to attend our quarterly meeting at the Mickle Center.

Agenda —

  • Complimentary Pizza dinner & Drinks beforehand @ 5:30 pm
  • Stay after for the Holiday Cookie Swap
  • Meet-and-greet Neighbors
  • Neighborhood Updates
  • Updates from Board Members on the following:
    • Doors to the Past
    • Halloween on the Hill
    • Myers Park Update
    • Conflict of Interest Bylaws proposed changes and vote
    • Invitation to Join Sherman Hill Association board

Guest Speakers —

  • Mary Wells, Polk County Treasurer’s Office
  • Troy Bothwell, Neighborhood Finance Corporation –
    • He will discuss the NFC’s $10,000 forgivable loan program.
    • NFC provides unique lending programs and other services to facilitate neighborhood revitalization in Polk County and Cedar Rapids, Iowa through partnerships with residents, governments, community-based organizations, lending institutions, and the business community. For more information on their programs and services, please visit their Loan Programs page. 

SHA Neighborhood Cookie Swap
December 5th | Following our Q4 Neighborhood Meet

Celebrate the season with your neighbors promptly after our Q4 Neighborhood Meeting with a festive Cookie Swap. Bring your holiday cheer and a batch of your favorite cookies to swap or share. Ugly Sweaters are encouraged!

Family Friendly. All Are Welcome!

Myers Family Fund Announces Major Donation to Park in Sherman Hill

Kay Myers (center), with son Bruce Myers and his wife Angela Myers.

The Sherman Hill Association, in partnership with the Mickle Center, is proud to announce the Myers Family Fund has made a generous donation towards the construction of our neighborhood’s new park.

This substantial gift, which represents about half of the total fundraising goal, will help facilitate the creation of Sherman Hill’s park at the Mickle Center. In honor of this gift, the park will be named “Myers Park.”

Honoring the Myers Legacy of Philanthropy

The park is named in honor of the philanthropists behind the Myers Family Fund, Lawrence (Larry) E. Myers and Pauline Kay Myers.

Larry dedicated his life to his career, community, and family. He served as president of the Iowa Jewish Home, an institution that once occupied the site of the park at the Mickle Center. (Larry’s son and Sherman Hill resident, Bruce Myers, fondly remembers all the time the family spent there with residents, especially bingo nights.)

Larry’s career with the Nyemaster, Goode, West, Hansell & O’Brien law firm, and his service as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, were complemented by his extensive philanthropic efforts. He was president of the Polk County Bar Association, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Tifereth Israel Synagogue. He was also a founding member of Hospice of Central Iowa and served on the Board of Trustees of the Des Moines Area Religious Council Foundation. His dedication to the Jewish community was recognized when he was named the Jewish Honoree of the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1998.

Kay Myers, Larry’s wife, has also been a prominent figure in the Des Moines community. She served on the board of the Iowa Jewish Home Guild and led fundraising for their Golden Ball event. She also supported the Tifereth Israel Women’s League, and she served as executive director of the Iowa Nurses Association for 20 years. This donation is yet another testament to Kay and her family’s enduring commitment to supporting and improving the lives of those in their community.

Larry and Kay raised three children, Margo, Michael, and Bruce. “My parents worked very hard throughout their lives and have taught us kids the importance of giving back through philanthropy,” said Bruce. “Unfortunately, we lost my dad in 2005, but I’m confident he would be thrilled to have his name associated with this noble cause.”

Bringing Back Sherman Hill’s “Lost” Park

The donation from the Myers Family Fund marks a significant milestone in the effort to bring a park back to the Sherman Hill neighborhood. The original Chamberlain Park, which opened in 1904 at Ingersoll and 19th St., was sold to private developers in 1995.

Once complete, Myers Park will fulfill an effort 30-years in the making, led by the Sherman Hill Association, the Mickle Center, and dedicated volunteers.

Looking Ahead: Fundraising Accelerates to Complete Park

This contribution, coupled with the Sherman Hill Association’s commitment of $25,000, represents significant progress (about 50%) toward the project’s initial fundraising goal.

For more information on how you can help make Myers Park a reality, please visit the Sherman Hill Association’s website and learn more about the project here.

Sherman Hill Association Cornhole Tournament

Big Grove is partnering with the Sherman Hill Association for a cornhole tournament! Please come out, enjoy a Sherman Hill Champagne, and play some bags to fundraise for the neighborhood association.

Proceeds from every Sherman Hill Champagne sold from Sunday, August 4 to Saturday, August 10 will be donated to the association to help build a park.

What to know —

Drink A Beer for Sherman Hill!

Help the Sherman Hill Association build a park in our neighborhood! We’re donating proceeds from every Sherman Hill Champagne poured in our taproom from August 4 – 10th to the association to help build the park.

You can also join us for a cornhole tournament on Aug 8 with the Sherman Hill Association from 6 – 8pm. 

What to know —

Doors To The Past, Walking Tour — Homes Needed!

The date is set for the annual Doors to the Past Walking Tour, and the Sherman Hill Association is seeking homes and gardens to showcase.

Those interested in participating should email jacki.bergman@shermanhilldsm.org.

What to know —

  • Walking Tour Date: September 28th & 29th, 2024
  • Participating homes will need to be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on the tour weekend. Participants are responsible for cleaning before & after the tour.
  • Safety measures taken during the tour include — volunteers at the door and inside the home, they can make any rooms/areas off-limits

Sherman Hill Night at the Iowa Cubs

The Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association is sponsoring the first Sherman Hill Night at the I-
Cubs at Principal Park
on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Game time is 6:30 p.m., and the I-Cubs will be
playing the St Paul Saints, the Minnesota Twins AAA affiliate. The I-Cubs will recognize our
group during the game.

WHAT TO KNOW:

When: Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Where: I-Cubs at Principal Park
Time: Game time 6:30
Price: $9.00 ticket
How to purchase: Pay via Venmo @Daniel-Alexander-27
Ticket Pick-up: June 20th Mickle Center @ 5:30 pm

MORE INFO:
The price of the ticket is $9.00 and is payable via Venmo to Daniel Alexander
@Daniel-Alexander-27.

Don’t have Venmo? No problem. Just contact Dan at
daniel.alexander@drake.edu to set up another way to pay. If you use Venmo, add “Sherman
Hill at the I-Cubs” or “gift” in the note field so I won’t be taxed.

Tickets, which normally cost $18, will be together in Section 9, reserved grandstand. Children
ages 3 and under do not require a ticket as long as they do not take a seat in the stadium.  The
number of tickets is limited so act quickly.

Because we need to buy the tickets a week in advance to get the discounted price, the deadline
for purchasing tickets is Monday, June 17
(although it is possible some tickets might be
available after the deadline).

Tickets can be picked up on Thursday, June 20 at the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association
Quarterly Meeting
(June 20th, Mickle Center) beginning at 5:30 p.m. or by contacting Dan at
daniel.alexander@drake.edu.

Contact Dan if you have any questions.
Email: daniel.alexander@drake.edu

Note: Since we need to sell 20 or more tickets to get the $9 price, if not enough people sign up
for the game, we may need to cancel the event in which case your money will be refunded
promptly.