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 Stratford The place to be for small town living! A small town with a progressive attitude, Stratford offers its residents and visitors a well-balanced plate of services. From a quaint shopping district to quality school to a quantity of medical services, this community offers a quality of living incomparable to other towns of its size.
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 Business The city of Stratford is ready to assist individuals and companies interested in locating in the community. The Stratford Community Development Corporation has the capacity to bring a variety of financial tools to the table to help create a package suitable to any sized business. Stratford tailors its economic development efforts to the specific needs of each business. A number of available buildings and building sites in the community offer the entrepreneur a choice of locations within the area..
The City of Stratford can utilize a TIF program for new or expanding businesses. The City may elect to assist in paying land acquisition, utility extensions, building costs or other needed improvements. Low interest loan funds can be accessed from a local loan pool, a county loan pool or a regional economic development loan pool. In addition, loan funds are available from the electric supplier. Favorable electric rates can be negotiated and job training tax credits can be provided.
 Medical Stratford is well-served for medical services. Hamilton Hospital recently opened a fully staffed clinic that is open five days a week. A twenty-two member volunteer fire and rescue department has operated for over one hundred years and continues to provide excellent service to the area including a high level of training and a quick response time. Two certified ambulances, two pumper trucks and a tanker truck make up the fleet - equipped with Amkuys Jaws and Cutter and a set of inflatable airbags.The Stratford Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has provided the Stratford community skilled care for twenty-five years. The facility offers an Alzheimers unit and rehabilitation services.
The newest medical addition to the community is Athens Woods Estates, a twenty-unit assisted living apartment complex joined to the Stratford Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Athens Woods Estates offers its residents the opportunity to live independently and access medical services that suit individual needs. A local pharmacy rounds out the medical serivces.
Education "Helping students achieve their maximum potential in reading, writing, listening, speaking, mathematics, reasoning, study skills, the use of technology, and the content areas" is the mission of the Stratford Elementary School. Stratford Elementary consists of grades K-6  and a combination early childhood program. Grades 7-12 are tuitioned to Webster City Middle and High School.
The average class size is 15, making the student-teacher ratio very favorable. Special programs offer a well-rounded curriculum including TAG, Resource, vocal/instrumental music, Spanish and exploratory.
Faculty of the school have participated in the literacy initiative "Every Child Reads" and have been recognized with the "Golden Apple Award." The school has been honored with the Betterment Excellence in Education Award.
Recreation The Stratford City Park is filled with mature shade trees nestled among two shelter houses, a bath/shower house and a newly equipped playground. Thirty-one electrical hook-ups are available to campers along with a sewer dump station. An additional thirty hook-ups are one-half block south in a railroad right-of-way. Camping fees are a reasonable $10.00/night for electric/shower use. Camping is coordinated by the City of Stratford.
A municipal swimming pool is in the process of extensive renovation. The project is slated for completion in Spring 2005 to be ready for the opening hours each summer afternoon/early evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Next to the pool are two blacktopped tennis courts. The Stratford School coordinates summer softball, baseball and t-ball for area children as well as other athletic activities.
Annual Special Events
March - Spring Open House
July - Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music Festival
October - Cruise to the Woods, Haunted Swamp
November - Holiday Open House
December - Tour of Homes, Santa Cottage
Organizations
The community offers a number of church and civic organizations of which one can belong. Church denominations represented in the community include Baptist, Lutheran, and Methodist. Community organizations include Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Legion and Legion Auxiliary, Jaycees, Lions Club, Women's Club and Stratford Historical Society
For More Information long on to the Stratford website.
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