Community News

Have you ever “WONDERed” about 4-H?

Well, then, come to the 4-H Winter WONDERland Recruitment Fest to find out more about the organization.

This event is geared for youngsters interested in joining 4-H or finding out more about the program.  Coming to this event does not require membership or commitment to be a member, but is designed to help prospective members  learn more about the 4-H program.   Current first year members are welcome to come and learn more about 4-H, as well as participate in the fun fall activities.  All youth attending must be of fourth-grade age  and older.

The event will be held Saturday, December 3, from 9:30 a.m. – noon, at the Washington County Fairgrounds.  The event is free and will include, winter crafts and snacks, a mini – service project.  Parents are welcome to attend.

To register for the event call the Washington County Extension Office, (319) 653-4811, or e-mail Amy at amygreen@iastate.edu by November 30.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has received its first confirmed seasonal influenza report for the 2011-2012 season. The State Hygienic Laboratory  confirmed the positive test result in a Polk County child (0 to 17 years of age), with no reported medical conditions.

“Right now is a good time to get your flu vaccine,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk. “It’s not too late to be vaccinated for seasonal influenza, and it’s especially important for those with risk factors including heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, women who are pregnant, and the very young and very old.”

The influenza vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. While the flu vaccine is the best defense against getting influenza, it’s also important to take personal actions to help prevent the spread of illness. Remember the 3Cs: Cover your coughs and sneezes; Clean your hands frequently; and Contain germs by staying home when ill.

The flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses. It spreads easily from person to person and can cause mild to severe illness. The flu comes on suddenly and symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and body aches. Illness typically lasts two to seven days. Influenza may cause severe illness or complications in people such as the very young or very old, or those who have underlying health conditions.

Contact your health care provider or local health department to find out where the vaccine is available in your community. More information about influenza can be found at www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/Influenza.aspx.

The Washington County Riverboat Foundation will meet at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort Events Center at 6 p.m. Thursday, November 16. This is a public meeting.

The agenda includes presentation of recommendations for fall grants, a discussion and vote on recipients and presentation of this year’s grant recipients.

Hospice of Washington County will hold a Community Memorial Service at 4 p.m.,  Sunday, November 20,  at the United Presbyterian Church, 209 East Main Street in Washington. This  memorial service is to honor community members from Henry, Jefferson, Johnson, Keokuk, Louisa and Washington counties that  passed away during the last year, including November and December of 2010.
For more information or to submit photos or other personal information for use in the memorial video tribute contact Robyn Harvey-Smith at Hospice of Washington County at 319-653-7321 or stop by the office during normal office hours.
All photos and information for the video tribute should be submitted on or before November 11, 2011. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for photos to be returned or you may pick them up at the event or at the Hospice office following November 21.

By Mary Zielinski
Aside from legal fees, cost of obtaining the ten acres for the proposed wastewater treatment lagoons in Richmond is $71,000, a figure provided Monday to the Washington County Board of Supervisors by Hattery Appraisals, Inc. of Davenport. The land is part of a 45-acre tract given to Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Richmond years ago and is about a mile south of the church itself or, as Supervisor Wes Rich said Monday, “It is a cow pasture. It is not next to the church.”
Because of the legal provisions of the land gift, the tract can be acquired only by eminent domain (condemnation) proceedings by the county which serves as the governmental entity for the unincorporated town of Richmond. A second appraiser concurred with Hattery’s findings that valued the land at $7,100 per acre and also noted the value of the entire tract was $200,000. With the removal of ten acres, valuation became $129,000. Presently, according to the appraisal report, the land is leased for agricultural purposes, bringing the church $2,500 annually.
The supervisors accepted the report which is part of the plan to install a $1.8 million sewer project to serve 83 homes in Richmond under the direction of the Rural Utility Service Systems (RUSS). The plan has met with strong opposition from a number of Richmond residents who last year incorporated as Residents for a Better Richmond (RBR) and question if the lagoon system is the best option for the town. To date, they have met with area legislative representatives in Des Moines and Richmond and Monday (April 4) met with the aide who handles policy matters for local communities for the governor primarily to get a state audit of RUSS.
However, Monday’s supervisor action is, as noted earlier by Chairman Jim Miksch the next step in a project that has a tentative start date of this spring.

This column is prepared by the Washington County Genealogy Society. Questions should have an area connection–be kept to 50 words and be clearly typed or printed. Include your name and address because readers who can help you should reply to you. Send your questions to our Society at P.O. Box 446, Washington, Iowa 52353 and NOT to this newspaper.

• Looking for information for the brothers of Matthias a Schneider who lived in Riverside, Iowa from 1854 until mid 1870s. Family moved to Nebraska where Matthias died 5 December 1897. He came from Prussia (?) around 1851. Cheryl Larson, 16031 Quarry Hill Drive, Parker, Colorado 80134, Larc@ecentral.com
  Looking for the family of Charles and Ethel Campbell of Riverside and Hills, Iowa, and possibly Washington. Clement Campbell, 1100 North 15th, Pekin Illinois 61554
• Looking for the family of Viola Engle Collett of Keota, Iowa, and Keokuk County Iowa, and Martha Hillyard and John Grisham/Grissam. Jerry Collett–Phone 319-653-6887.
• Looking for information on the following families: Embree–Birney–Beatty
  Randy Allison, 1434 High County Road, Coralville, Iowa 52241

By Mary Zielinski
Regardless of which mapping is used, Kalona property owners in Zone A (high flood risk) will be looking at paying an estimated two to nearly three percent of their median income for flood insurance. Estimated figures were presented during Monday’s council meeting, much of which centered on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mapping of the city, as well as the recent review done by the Iowa Flood Center (IFC). Revisions done by both FEMA and IFC have taken Kalona from being nearly 50 percent in a flood plain to 35 percent or less.
The insurance cost figures used the original FEMA maps of September 29, 2010 (phase 1), the depth grid review of the downtown and east of Highway 1 (phase 2), less east and central ditches (phase 3) and the 87 foot regression equation on the west drainage ditch (phase 4) for compilations.
In all estimates the average home value was set at $125,000 (full coverage) and $40,000 for contents. Insurance is for structures only, “not for land which is not covered by flood insurance” explained City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh who provided the figures.
Using the original FEMA maps to cover 353 homes and 113 business, the combined total potential premiums for a year would be $949,276 paid by local property owners.

Read more…

By Mary Zielinski
The possible floodplain area in Kalona, which last fall was at least 50 percent of the city, may have receded to 35 percent, the council learned at its Monday meeting. The change in the initial Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps came this year with revisions by FEMA and also examinations by the Iowa Flood Center. The most recent intervention came from U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack who gained Kalona an extension regarding Zone A (floodplain) designations. Even more there are changes in areas where floodplain insurance would apply, but owners would not be required to obtain it.
As noted by City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh, there are questions about the formulas used to determine the floodplain areas and that all involved need to be in agreement, adding “we are not yet on the same page.”
Even with the changes, Schlabaugh added that the floodplain designation “is still over one-third” of the town.
The extension secured by the congressman will allow for an additional 30 days in which at least one and possibly two public meetings will be held. However, Schlabaugh said “it now may be a more formal process to go forward.”

Read more…

By Mary Zielinski
The Washington County Supervisors Monday approved the $22 million fiscal 2011-12 budget that has a 1.3 percent ($996,000) increase in property tax revenues, to cover debt service on $8 million in GO bonds for the $12 million secondary roads project.
The tax rate for 2011-12 is $7.97151 for urban areas and $11.53085 for rural areas per $1,000 valuation.
The budget approval and certification followed a public hearing in which no comments or objections were made. In acknowledging the passage, Chairman Jim Miksch made note of the “cooperation and support from all the (county departments” in assembling the budget.
The board met Monday rather than the usual Tuesday in case last minute budget changes had to be made and the county could still meet the certification deadline of March 15.
Miksch noted that information for the bid contracts is available through the engineer’s office and from the county auditor’s office, noting that all bid submissions are time stamped and none are accessed in any way until the actual bid letting, starting at 9 a.m.

By Mary Zielinski
The Kalona Optimist Club Monday asked the city council if they could install a possible 100 flags to make the city part of the International Optimists Community of Flags project. The flags, which will be installed by the Optimist and flown five to six times per year, will be offered to property owners for a yearly fee of possibly $35 to $40, explained Optimist Lynn Merck. While the club will “do as many as people want,” he said he hoped there could initially be 100 flags that would fly at Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Presidents Day and Veterans Day.
The club will not only install the flag pole holders but also provide the poles and flags, as well as store them. Flags and poles will be obtained through Yotty’s, Inc. in Kalona.
Merck explained that at the start, the move will not make the club much money, but later, proceeds will go to the club’s numerous youth programs.
“100 percent of profits stay in the community” he said.
City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh noted that the Club has easily “put some $75,000 into the community.”
The council approved the proposal and authorized Schlabaugh to handle the procedures with the club.
In other business, the council:

• approved the fiscal 2011-12 budget, following a public hearing in which no objections were voiced;
• learned that the first celebration of the downtown revitalization will be April 28, at the start of the annual Kalona Quilt Show and Sale. Three Kalona Elementary classes (3rd, 4th and 5th) will decorate “quilt cookies” for the event;
• learned that the city will consider installing various shutoffs to aid with repairing water main breaks; and
• learned that FEMA would be willing to hold another open house information meeting in Kalona if requested. There were 350 who participated in the March 3 one, either in the morning professional segment or the afternoon and evening public one.

By Mary Zielinski
Before Kalona locks itself into a flood plain ordinance based on the recently revised Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) map, it should take another look at the mapping process that may be flawed, Kalona resident Cam Conrad urged the council Monday.
Conrad, a University of Iowa graduate in geography, mapping (GSI) and water service with 15 years of experience, gave a presentation that literally illustrated major changes in determining a flood plain. He explained that he had met with FEMA and DNR officials at the open house March 3 where “I had lots of questions, but got no answers.”
Conrad made a major point that a floodplain situation is vastly different from flash flooding, which “cannot be predicted,” and is not what floodplain mapping is all about. Kalona’s most recent flood was flash flooding last year. He gave details about base flood elevation, showing quite a difference between his mapping and the FEMA maps (done by a contracted services, STARR), and told the council Kalona should consider a third party in this, such as the Iowa Flood Center.
In fact, the city already is working with the Center and Conrad said “stick with the Flood Center,” adding it has the experts and the experience.
He stressed that the city should “question the map” and said there were other communities who had some problems with FEMA’s mapping methodology, to the point “there are some lawsuits out there.”
He also noted that having an option to buy National Flood Plain Insurance Program backed flood insurance is not the same as mandatory, which is what is taking place with the current FEMA efforts.
Realtor Tina Hershberger told the council that a floodplain designation “devaluates property,” because of the risk involved. Initially, FEMA had all of Kalona south of Highway 22 in a floodplain. However, following voiced concerns, the map was revised, eliminating most of the downtown from the floodplain designation. Actually, there were “islands” that arose such as one going form JW’s foods on Highway 22 south all he way to CIVCO on Highway 1.

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For the third consecutive year, Washington County received $14,809 of a phased refund from the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool.  The refund is from the reserved funds of the group which provides liability and property insurance.  The award came at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, and means that since 2008 the county has received $44,427 in refunds from the pool that is for county governments.
In other business, the board:

• approved the purchase of a highway right-of-way easement from Robert Sheetz for $882.50.  The area is north of Lake Darling in Dutch Creek Township and is to accommodate box culver repairs on a county road;
• appointed Attorney Bill Sueppel as the county’s representative for union collective bargaining; and
• accepted the annual report from the Washington County Conservation Board that shows there were some 10,000 visitors for the year at Marr Park and its Conservation Education Center.