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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
December 22, 2005 |
Plattenbergers
Donate Land
by Michelle Phillips |
Larry
Gullet, Jones County Conservation Board Director, Robert Plattenberger, Roberta
Plattenberger and Joy Adams, Grant Wood Trail Association take a walk on the property
donated by the Plattenbergers. (Journal-Eureka Photo by Michelle Phillips) |
MARTELLE–Robert and Roberta Plattenberger have owned a piece of land that
was once a railroad right of way since 1994, and now the couple has decided to
donate that land to the Grant Wood Trail Association (GWTA).
“We
bought it to keep it from becoming an old dumping ground,” explained Robert.
“We didn’t have to take off any old cars, but everything up to it,”
added Roberta.
The Plattenbergers felt that donating the land was the
right thing to do because it would be enjoyed by a large number of people. The
couple had ridden on other bike trails and felt this was a good use of the land. |
“Eventually
we were going to have to do it. It’s not the kind of thing you can leave
to your kids,” said Robert, who added that there is a substantial amount
of upkeep on the property.
“I hope it gets used, and I’m sure
it will. There are a lot of people in Martelle who already use it,” included
Roberta.
The land, which is just over six acres includes a piece of native
prairie and includes several rare Iowa plants.
“There’s at least
two acres of good quality prairie,” said Larry Gullett, Director of the Jones
County Conservation Board, who added that it is common to find native prairie
along old railroads.
Some of the plants found in the prairie include:
Shooting Star, Closed Gentian, Rattlesnake Master, Culver’s Root, Blazing
Star, several prairie grasses and the very rare Turk’s Cap Lily.
In addition to the approximately 30 known flowers and grasses, there may be more.
Gullett said that the area will be burned to stimulate growth and botanical studies
will be conducted every year.
“When we burn it, it will change every
year,” Gullett said.
Part of the area is wetland and there are many
varieties of trees, some hundreds of years old, and others that were planted by
the Plattenbergers and their family.
Joy Adams of the GWTA said the group
has been acquiring old railroad land for about ten years, but there are still
a few holes in the trail. The group has been working in conjunction with the Linn
County Trail Association and the two groups eventually hope the trail will go
to the Mississippi River. Right now the group in Jones County is working on connecting
the trail between Olin and Martelle.
“The goal is to eventually have
the trails hook up. I think it would be really awesome, whether people use it
for health or to learn about nature,” said Adams.
The prairie will
be named Plattenberger Prairie in honor of the couple, who have live in Martelle
for 60 years.
“It’s a legacy,” said Gullett.
There
will be a commemorative stone at the site and Gullet said there would be a parking
lot and staging area for those using the trail.
The GWTA and the Jones
County Conservation Board will be seeking easements for three parcels of land
that were once a road. That land leads up to the property donated by the Plattenbergers. |
Hancock
Discusses Topics for Next Legislative Session
by
Michelle Phillips |
JONES COUNTY–The Iowa Legislature will be starting its new session on January
9, 2006, and there are several items that will be on the front burner for Iowa
Legislators. Senator Tom Hancock talked about some of the things that will likely
receive attention by the Legislature during this term.
Renewable Energy is
one of the items that will be discussed by lawmakers. Hancock said some of the
topics will include availability of E85 fuel, wind generation and geothermal as
well as ethanol and biodiesel.
“I don’t think we’ll see
any mandates, but I think there’ll be incentives for ethanol and biodiesel
use,” said Hancock, who added that there are about 100,000 E85 ready vehicles
in Iowa at this time.
He said he supports building new ethanol and biodiesel
plants in the state and Jones County.
“We feed the world, now it’s
time to fuel the world,” Hancock commented.
The Sex Offender bill
will also be in the spotlight again this term and Hancock said recommendations
will be heard from an interim study committee. Some of the items considered are
the classification of sex offenders, GPS monitoring and assessments of the likelihood
that he/she will offend again.
Hancock said, “Funding would be an
issue, there’s no question, but I’m confident we could do that.”
He said he felt local mandates by communities is being done in an effort
to protect the communities.
“I think they’re doing the same
thing lawmakers have been doing, trying to protect their citizens,” he added.
Hancock said the state should try to support small businesses by helping them
grow. This could be done through the Iowa Values Fund.
“We have
a great climate for business in Iowa. We’re middle of the road for taxes,”
he said.
In addition, Hancock would like to see Insurance pools started
for small business owners who employ 25 people or less. By pooling together it
would increase their opportunity to provide health insurance to employees.
Water quality has been a problem in Iowa for the past several years, and this
issue will probably get attention this term as well. Hancock said he has attended
water quality seminars and met with the DNR concerning this problem.
He
said the current system allows only for water treatment plant operators to make
recommendations to the DNR for training and testing. He would like to see a mentoring
or training program for other water treatment employees in the event the operator
was unavailable or needed to be replaced.
“Water contamination is
everyone’s problem,” explained Hancock. “Farm run-off is a huge
issue.”
He added that the state is considering remote sensors in
waterways to check contamination levels. The sensors were developed at Iowa State
University.
The 50-cent cigarette tax proposed by Governor Vilsack could
be used to help fund watersheds in the state.
The cigarette tax may also
be used for healthcare through restoring the Senior Living Trust. This would benefit
those needing home-based healthcare. |
Eden
Lights Up the Night with Christmas Display
by Michelle Phillips |
JONES COUNTY–Ivan Eden’s light display at his rural Onslow home has
snowballed over the years. The Jones County resident, who started with just a
few decorations in 1989 now boasts over 20,000 lights and 260 holiday figures.
“I’ve always enjoyed the Christmas lights, but once you start you start
thinking, ‘I could do this or that’. It’s a disease,” jokes
Eden.
People come from all around to see the display located at 10737
100th Avenue. Eden said one family came all the way from Galena, IL to view the
lights.
“Some people from Dubuque came and they called friends from
Galena. They told them to come see it, it was worth the trip,” said Eden,
who works as a Jones County Deputy Sheriff.
Eden begins putting up the
light display on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and said it takes about three weeks
of his spare time to install the lights, much of that time is spent checking and
replacing bulbs. He turns the display on every night until just after Christmas.
“Everything is on timers,” he explained, adding that the lights are
on from 5:30-10 pm. The
cost of electricity for the display is Eden’s main expense. Last year he
put up a donation box to help defray the $15 per day it takes to power the display. “Even
a little help is appreciated on the light bill,” he said.
Eden said
he acquired the lights and figures from many sources. Many of the items are purchased
after Christmas when they go on sale, some have been given to him and others have
come from garage sales. | 
Ivan
Eden changes a bulb in one of the caroller figures.
A
portion of the lights in Ivan Eden’s yard.
One
of the out buildings at Ivan Eden’s home. |
“Last
year somebody left a box by the mailbox with 12 strings of 100 lights,” Eden
said.
Because of the number of lights, Eden rewired his home, placed outlets
all over the grounds and put them on a separate breaker.
Many of the display
items were designed by Eden, and most break down into smaller components for easy
storage. Eden has a 16x22 foot building to house the display when not in use.
He said it only takes about a week of his spare time to take the display down.
The decorating at Eden’s home is not isolated to the outside. He
and his wife, Linda, also decorate the inside of their home. Every room in the
house has lights, lighted figures and other holiday items, including shadow boxes
that Eden made himself.
“This is my vice,” said Eden. “You’re
going to squander a certain amount of money on entertainment, and this is my entertainment.”
Eden puts up posters with a map at businesses around Jones County. He also has
signs with arrows leading the way to his display, from Highway 64.
He
plans to continue the display as long as he is physically able and can afford
the electricity.
“Come on by. The more people that see it, the more
worth while it is,” Eden concluded.
To get to the light display take
Highway 64 East to Highway 38 North. Turn right on Madison, then left on 100th
Avenue. And if you get lost, just look for the signs. |
Council
Approves Utility Board, Discusses Sewage Treatment Plant
by
Michelle Phillips |
ANAMOSA– Appointment of the telecom utility board members and the sewage
treatment plant were the main issues on the Anamosa City Council agenda at the
December 19 meeting.
The council approved the appointment of the following
people to the utility board:
Jim Lauzon, six years
Sean Williams, five
years
Vic Hamre, four years
Rick Delagardelle, three years
Steve Reyhons,
two years
Council member Steve Vaca asked about funding of the utility,
and if an operating budget would be necessary for assessments and other expenses.
City Administrator Pat Callahan said that there would probably be little need
for a budget until the utility was actually formed, but said the council could
approve a small budget or have every expenditure run past the council.
Vaca said he would like to see a small budget included for the utility, and the
council agreed. It was proposed to give the utility board $2,500-$5,000 for expenses.
The sewage treatment facility is at the forefront of the council’s planning
due to a complaint filed by the DNR because the plant has been exceeding the fecal
limit when expelling water into the Wapsipinicon River.
Dave Stoklasa
of Snyder and Associates addressed the council and explained the problems and
options to rectify the problem.
The sewage treatment facility currently
uses an ultraviolet system to treat sewage, but Stoklasa pointed out several problems
with the current system.
He told the council that the plant, which was
built in 1990 has historically required repairs in excess of the projected expectations
because it produces more effluent than other systems, a variation of the amount
of waste coming from the penitentiary and the declining availability of parts
for the system.
He proceded by telling council members there are three
options for the plant.
1. Maintaining the current system
2. Installing
a new ultraviolet system
3. Installing a new chlorination/dechlorination system.
Stoklasa said the chlorination/dechlorination system is preferred because it has
manual controls, simpler technology and a higher probability of meeting the effluent
requirements. He added that the operation cost would be similar to that of he
current Ultraviolet system.
When asked about how projected growth had
been factored into the $300,000 cost of the new system, Stoklasa said it was based
on numbers from 1992. He said residential growth should not be a concern as far
as exceeding capacity.
City Maintenance Manager Larry Driscoll told the
council the current system has only peaked twice, both times during flooding.
Vaca asked if the cost would significantly increase if the city were to request
an increase in the size of the holding tank.
Stoklasa said it wouldn’t
increase that much and the majority of cost would come from construction and contracting.
The new system needs to be complete by November 2006. In March of 2006 the DNR
will start imposing a $2,500 fine for each violation at the sewage treatment plant.
If the system were changed t would likely be complete by May 2006.
Driscoll
said the state has been sending letters to the city for non-compliance for about
five years.
Any plans must be approved by the DNR, and one-third of the
cost would be paid by the Anamosa State Penitentiary.
At the end of the
meeting Mayor Jon Hatcher gave certificates of recognition to Herb Spencer and
Bernie Keeney for their years of service to the council. Spencer served on the
council from 2000-2005 and Keeney was on the council from 1994-2005.
Anamosans voted in Dan Young for Keeney’s spot. He was a write-in after Keeney
announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. Spencer was beat in the election by
Tom Swisher. |
PO
Box 108, 208 W. Main Street, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-3511,
FAX 319-462-4540
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