Archive for: October 2009

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks volleyball team lost in first round regional action at West Branch Tuesday, October 20. They lost to the Bears in five games, 25-23, 23-25, 22-25, 25-16, 7-15.
After winning the first game and losing the next two …

by Mary Coblentz
Aaron Schumaker, Wellman public works director, updated the Wellman council on public works projects during a work session prior to the regular council meeting Monday.
Shumaker told the council that the “chip and seal all over town” is the result of city workers attempting to replace water valves. The city anticipated replacing four to five valves and some hydrants and, according to Schumaker, “Looking at the map, we thought we knew what we were getting into.”
However, he reported, sometimes the water main wasn’t where the map indicated. Also, some functional valves were discovered that weren’t on the map.

Looking at the map, we thought we knew what we were getting into

A couple of hydrants have been replaced including one at 8th Street and 8th Avenue. Another hydrant was replaced on 1st Avenue two weeks ago, the day before a house burned there. The hydrant was used to fight the fire.
Several other hydrants in the city need to be replaced or repaired. Non-functional hydrants are marked with a blue plastic circle, and the Wellman Fire Department is aware of which hydrants don’t work.
The valve replacement project will continue to be a priority for the city workers. Schumaker said, “We need to be able to shut down the city (referring to water). We need to be able to shut down just a block or part of a block, not a whole section.”
Water plant improvements are on schedule, Schumaker said. The pilot reverse osmosis trial is ended and “water quality results are better than expected.” The equipment used for the pilot project was dismantled at the end of September.

Underground Railroad Exhibit displayed at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
Before the Civil War, men, women, and children seeking to escape slavery in the South often sought refuge among Northern abolitionists in Cedar County, Iowa. “Cedar County, Iowa: A Door to …

By Mary Zielinski
Washington County Monday filed a petition in Washington County District Court for declaratory judgement against the City of Riverside, seeking the $175,000 payment Riverside refused to make in July and all future payments required in the Infrastructure Finance and Development Agreement signed by the city and county December 26, 2005.
The county’s action follows the board of supervisors’ closed session September 30 with County Attorney Barbara Edmondson and special counsel William Sueppel, retained especially for the case.
Additionally, the petition asked that all court costs be assessed to Riverside, as well as any other relief “as may be just and equitable.”
The agreement between the city and the county came after the county agreed to issue $9.4 million in urban renewal tax increment revenue bonds to finance major sewer and water projects for the city to meet the needs created by the $140 million Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.

By Mary Zielinski
The Kalona City Council hopes to finance the estimated $2.6 million downtown revitalization project with $1.1 million from Kalona itself, $1 million from a possible Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) grant and $500,000 in a Vision Iowa (VI) grant. The council Monday discussed the plan for which it previously approved applying to the WCRF and VI. Application deadline for the fall WCRF grant cycle is 5 p.m. Friday, October 9.
Council member Ken Herington said that some of the city funds will be from road use, TIF, and local option sales tax revenues. A first stage of the plan is to address infrastructure needs, especially drainage and sewers.
Herington added that the welcome (or gateway entrance) signs will not be installed until next spring, making them part of the grant application package. He added that all the WCRF municipal allocations to Kalona (which since inception now exceed $400,000) will “all be used” for the project.

Story-time for toddlers and preschoolers are held each Wednesday from 10:30 - 11 a.m. in the children’s area of the Kalona Public Library. Story-time helps build early childhood literacy skills through listening, fingerplays, rhymes and songs.
The story time themes for …

By Mary Zielinski
More history than Halloween, Beyond the Grave brought ten of Sharon Center’s pioneers to life Sunday. And they told visitors about surviving cholera, a steam boat crash and refusing to attend church once an organ was installed.
The …

February 25, 1913 - October 17, 2009
Esther Miller, 96, of Kalona, Iowa, died at her home Saturday, October 17, 2009, following a lingering illness. A celebration of life service was held Tuesday, Octoer …

May 29, 1945 - October 15, 2009
Aleda “Randy” Williams, 64, died Thursday, October 15, 2009, in Belle Plaine Nursing and Rehab Center, Belle Plaine, Iowa, following a long illness.
Funeral services were …

May 8, 1922 - October 17, 2009
Donald C. Leinen, 87, of Kalona, Iowa, formerly of Iowa City and Harper, died Saturday, October 17, 2009, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City following a lingering illness. …

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks football team lost to Davis County on the road in Bloomfield Friday, October 16, 27-36.
There was no score in the first quarter, but six seconds into the second quarter, Davis County scored a touchdown on a …

October 8 vs. Regina
Mid-Prairie 2, Regina 3
Mid-Prairie stats (kills-blocks-aces): Kate Yoder 0-0-3; Jessica Schrock 0-0-1; Kelsey Fuhr 26-4-10; Kelsie Berg 2-0-2; Olivia Lugar 14-1-5; Kendra Kramer 15-4-0; Mallory McArtor 0-0-4; Brittnee Stumpf 1-3-0; Erika Murphy 5-1-0.
October 12 vs. North …