Archive for: July 2009

1918 – 2009
Dr. Kenneth Foster Millsap, 91, of Iowa City, Iowa, died peacefully Friday, July 24, 2009, in Hills Atrium Village, Hills, Iowa.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, July 28, 2009, in the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City with the Reverend John Raab officiating. Burial with military honors was in the Lone Tree Cemetery, Lone Tree, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Iowa City or Iowa City Hospice. Online condolences may be sent for Dr. Millsap’s family through the web at www.gayandciha.com.
Kenneth Millsap was born July 9, 1918, in Bloomfield, Iowa, the son of Thomas Foster and Mary Ellen Lyons Millsap. He was a 1935 graduate of Bloomfield High School and a 1937 graduate of Bloomfield Junior College. He attended the University of Iowa, graduating in 1939 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies. During his undergraduate years, he attended many classes with Nile Kinnick, discovering they shared the same birthdate. Dr. Millsap received his master’s degree in 1947 in political science and a Ph.D. in political science/public administration in 1950. He served in the United States Army in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. After the war, he was appointed a Captain in the Army Air Force Reserve.
He was united in marriage to Florence Elizabeth Eden August 16, 1942, in the First Methodist Church in Iowa City and celebrated nearly 67 years together.

By Mary Zielinski
Regardless of the outcome, the three Highland students who wrestled on the USA team in Australia this month knew they were winners just in being selected for the 21st annual Down Under Sport Tournament, Coming back with the gold made it just that much better.
Cousins Todd (Toddy) Hahn, Jesse Hahn and Jake Walton were part of the team that competed in Queesland in the event held by the International Sports Specialists, Inc. (ISSI) against Australians who were determined to take back the championship.
But, “We beat them,” said Toddy.
He added that it was all freestyle. There also was Sumo style wrestling on the beach, a competition which they also won.
“I think they were surprised,” said Todd Hahn Senior who was their as team coach, noting that the competition had some top national wrestlers who had scored wins in European competition as well. Even more, the Australian team was a packed one that ruled a \wrestler (who had pinned the national champion and placed third overall as not good enough.”

1918 – 2009
Rosella “Rosie” (Herring) Attig, 90, of Lone Tree, Iowa, died Sunday, July 26, 2009, at Atrium Village in Hills, Iowa.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2009, at St. …

By Mary Zielinski
The supervisors Tuesday held the second reading of the updated county code of ordinances. The third reading and passage is expected at the August 4 meeting. Most of the changes, said County Auditor Bill Fredrick, reflects changes in the state law to bring the county into compliance with them.
An interesting aspect is that now the county cannot plow state roads or the state county ones. It need not be a permanent impasse since County Egineer Dave Patterson said if a 28E Agreement is enacted between the Iowa Department of Transportation and the county the plows can run anywhere. And probably will.
Much of the session concerned suspension of property taxes for two separate cases.
County Treasurer Jeffery Garrett explained that one was virtually automatic since the individual receives state and federal assistance. The other is an individual who is current on taxes, but because of a disability from an jury at work may have problems with the next tax payment due in September. He added that at present he did not have an exact taxes figure for the person. No interest or penalty will attach until October 1, and the supervisors noted it could wait until shortly before then since the woman’s situation could change.

1972 – 2009
Dawn D. Weaver, 37, of Riverside, Iowa, died Friday, July 17, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa.
A memorial services was held Wednesday, July 22, 2009, in the Hass-Theielen Funeral Home in Burlington, Iowa, with Reverend Roger Olson officiating. …

By Mary Zielinski
The Riverside Council Monday approved building permits for two separate projects that will see a $1,618,373 medical clinic and a $1,282,00 new business erected in the city this year.The permits are for the River Crossing Clinic, a family medical facility, that will be operated by the University of Iowa Community Medical Health Services and Kum & Go, a convenience store that also will will have a Subway sandwich shop on the site.
The medical clinic is at 1177 Commercial Drive, part of the city’s commercial area just south of Highway 22 at the east edge of Riverside, and Kum & Go will be just north of Highway 22 and west of the Highway 218 Interchange in the Enterprise Park planned by Mann & Mann Properties.
The building permit for the clinic were waived, part of an agreement made earlier between the city and the builders, Liberty Group 5. Approval of the Kum & Go permit was subject to the addition of a hydrant.
In another land matter, the council set 5:30 p.m. Monday, August 24 for a public hearing about the sale of approximately 4.33 acres of the city’s Commercial Park. It is a special meeting, cost of which will be paid by the realtor. The area is the proposed site for Scandinavian Interiors, a furniture company whose owners are Riverside residents.
However, no action was taken accepting the final plat for Enterprise Park or the Mann and Mann Properties supplement subdivider’s agreement. Mayor Bill Poch said the matter was tabled; but there was no council vote to do so.
During the discussion prior to Poch’s statement, Steve Mann discussed the need for a performance bond or irrevocable letter of credit in the amount of $300,000. The funds will be released only when all secured project are approved and accepted by the city.

March 15, 1940 – July 17, 2009
William “Bill” K. Riggan, 69, of Washington, Iowa, died Friday, July 17, 2009, following a courageous battle with cancer.
A celebration of life service was held Tuesday, …

By Mary Zielinski
The Highland School District’s luck kept rolling Thursday, July 16, when bids for the furnishings for the new additions at the high/middle school came in 25 percent lower than estimated. The low bid for everything from wrestling mats to library lounge chairs totaled $170,145, which is $54,855 less than the $225,00 estimate. The bids follow the pattern established in April when bids for the improvements and additions at the middle/high school also were about 25 percent less: $2,803,871 instead of the estimated $3,520,477. Although the bid for improvements at Ainsworth Elementary School came in at $102,000 (estimate was $75,105) is was more than offset by the electrical work coming in at $88,030 rather than the estimated $167,250. The board Thursday unanimously approved accepting the furnishings bid.
The board also accepted the low bid of $1,271.92 per month (which works out to just about $295 per week) from N & N Sanitation for sanitation and recycling services in the district for 2009-10. The second bid from K & K Sanitation, who currently provides the services at $180 per week, was $500 per week for 2009-10. The contract ends July 31.

The Washington County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved hiring William J. Noth, an attorney with the bonding firm of Ahlers and Cooney, to aid in its dispute with the city of Riverside over the Infrastructure Finance And Development Agreement Riverside …

By Mary Zielinski
Richmond residents Bill and Bonnie Knutson Tuesday asked the Washington County supervisors to reconsider options for a sanitary sewer system for the unincorporated town that has only had private wells and septic systems. Major concern was not only the installation costs but also on-going operation and maintenance fees.
Bonnie Knutson cited findings from small towns in western Iowa, using the proposed system for Richmond, where fees, per individual property owners, ran to $300 a month.
A plan to install a public system has been discussed since November, 2001 when the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a citation when untreated wastewater was found running in a Richmond ditch.
By November, 2007, a preliminary report, including some eight options, was completed by Garden & Associates (G & A), consulting engineers, of Oskaloosa, and presented to the county. The firm was hired in 2003 by the county in cooperation with the Rural Utility Sewer Service (RUSS).
Tuesday, G & A had a final overview report with the aim of taking bids this fall for the approximate $1 million project.
A key factor in the plan is the use of treatment lagoons and the Knutsons said they and other Richmond residents questioned the possible site that is on land owned by Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Richmond.
According to Bonnie Knutson, the land was deeded to the church in a parishioner’s will with the stipulation it could not be sold for 85 years. She said the county would likely have to condemn the land to get it. Even more, the installation of a public system which Iowa code mandates all within 200 feet connect to it, would mean shutting down the current systems, including the new $23,000 one for Holy Trinity’s Parish Life Center. She added that property owners also will have “lost” the $8,000 to $10,000 they spent on installing their systems.

Paul LaPorte was elected president of the Riverside History Center/Voyage Home museum board this month. Other officers are Phil Richman, vice-president, Carol Butler, secretary and Carolyn Hudson, treasurer. Board members include Scott Riggan, Jane Wilkinson, Brenda Mickle, Mary …

By Elizabeth Beachy
The Riverside Council, Monday, approved a motion to accept a $70,000 bid for Lot B in the city’s commercial site as the future site for Scandinavian Interiors, Ltd., a furniture store. The lot is 109 by 299 feet in the 3/4 acre lot adjoining American Homes, totaling approximately 32,591 square feet. The approval of the bid is contingent upon parking for the space meeting zoning and engineering requirements. There will be public notice allowing 30 days for any other bids for the property.
The council approved a building permit for Jim and Donna Leyden allowing the construction of a 10 by 20 feet, 42 inches off-the -ground deck with permit fees totaling $176.10.
In addition, the council approved the application for building permit for Jerome Full to pour a foundation for the University of Iowa Medical Clinic to be built on lot 1 in the commerical site along Highway 22.
In other business, the council: