The City of Jefferson continues to make preparations for when 20,000 cyclists make their overnight stop Monday during the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). With that in mind, there are a couple of City entities that have announced plans for that day.

The Jefferson Public Library will be open extended hours on Monday, July 23rd until 9pm. However, the Children’s Department will be closed that day. Library Director Jane Millard explains what their plans are for RAGBRAI.

“They’ll want to recharge their phones and other devices so we’ll be prepared to help them with that. We’re setting up a nap room in the basement of the library. We did that ten years ago (when RAGBRAI was last here) and that was a popular thing. And the Friends of the (Jefferson) Library are sponsoring that day for us and so they’ll be here to hand out free ice water and some snacks for them. And you know what, we’re going to have some books and magazines around for them in case they do want to do some reading while they are in Jefferson.”

Millard reminds everyone that nothing will be due to the library on Monday, due to the difficulties of getting to the library on that day.

Jefferson Parks and Recreation Director Vicky Lautner says the Greene County Community Center will close at 3pm on Monday, July 23rd. The community center will then re-open at 7am the following Tuesday. She says they are hosting Adaptive Sports of Iowa, who are sponsoring a team of handicap bicyclists. The JPRD Board approved the company’s request earlier this year to utilize the facility for their needs.