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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
December 8, 2005 |
Chamber
Breaks Ground on New Park
by Michelle Phillips |
Members
of the Anamosa Chamber of Commerce held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new
Chamber Park on November 30. (Journal-Eureka Photo by Michelle Phillips) |
ANAMOSA–On November 30 members of the Anamosa Chamber of Commerce braved
the cold and snow to partake in a ceremonial groundbreaking of the new Chamber
Park, to be located between the Maquoketa Valley REC and the National Motorcycle
Museum.
“Business owners got together and wanted a spot for festivals
and other events,” said KC Kiner, Anamosa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
The concept of the park, which will initially consist of green space, was part
of the Streetscapes project, according to Anamosa Mayor, Jon Hatcher. |
“We
considered it during Streetscapes, but the city was unable to fund it at the time,”
explained Hatcher, who added that the city is contributing $11,000 in funding
for the project. “Part
of that money will go for dirt and seeding,” said Hatcher.
“Eventually
there will be a band shelter and we hope the schools community and businesses
will use the facility,” added Kiner.
City maintenance Manager, Larry
Driscoll said the city had hoped to get started on the project this fall and work
through the winter, weather permitting.
“We’ll probably start
coring it out this winter and have it done in early April,” said Driscoll,
who added that six to eight inches of rock must be removed as a first step.
Weber Stone has agreed to remove the rock, which will then be housed at the city
maintenance shop.
“After that we’ll put in six to eight inches
of dirt and hydro seed it,” Driscoll said.
The park will be owner
by the city and become home to the Grant Wood Art Festival in June and Pumpkinfest
in October. The city will have ownership of the park.
“We’re
trying to bring some quality of life events to the area,” commented Kiner.
Those who serve on the park committee include Doug Edel, KC Kiner, Sean Williams,
Jim Lauzon and Barb Colehour.
“I think it could be a great thing,”
concluded Hatcher. |
City
Begins Work on Comprehensive Plan
by Michelle Phillips |
ANAMOSA–Community leaders, city officials and concerned citizen attended
a comprehensive planning session for the City of Anamosa on December 1.
Chad Sands, AICP Planner with ECICOG (East Central Iowa Council of Governments
was on hand to facilitate the meeting, which was designed to get input on issues
facing the city.
Sands began the meeting by explaining why the comprehensive
plan was needed.
“There are two reasons for developing a comprehensive
plan,” said Sands. “One, it’s the law. Cities with a zoning ordinance
have to have a comprehensive plan. Two, because you want to so you will know what
you want to do and how you want to grow in a certain direction.”
Sands added that this could only be done through public input.
Next, Sands
explained what a comprehensive plan is not. He said the plan is not an ordinance
or a legal guide. It is merely a guide to assist residents to figure out the needs
of the city.
The goal of the plan is to help the city set goals. This
could include mapping out land use, housing, infrastructure and transportation
needs.
The 22 people who attended the meeting were broken into four small
groups and asked to highlight the positive things in the city as well as the areas
that need improvement.
Some of the items the group listed as positive
qualities of Anamosa included: Proximity to Cedar Rapids, medical facilities,
low housing cost, retail convenience, sense of community, tourism and superior
schools.
Items that the groups felt needed improvement included: City
spending, lack of interest in local government, lack of youth activities, wastewater
concerns, lack of high paying jobs and industry, street maintenance, lack of trails
and sidewalks and the aging school facilities.
Those who attended the
meeting were reminded that the planning would be ongoing with meetings at the
beginning of each month. It is expected to take up to 10 months to get a plan
together.
“No plan can foresee everything,” Sands told the group.
“We do want to make it a plan that gets used.”
The next planning
session will be held on January 5, 2006 and those in the community are encouraged
to attend. |
Search
Begins for New Superintendent
by Michelle Phillips |
ANAMOSA–Efforts to find a new superintendent for the Anamosa Community School
District got underway on November 30 when representatives Steve Williams and Dick
Vande Kieft of MacPherson and Jacobson LLC, a recruiting firm, visited Anamosa
to get input on what will be expected of the new school leader.
Williams
told the citizen’s group that the pair had met with several groups throughout
the day, including students and employees of the district. The idea is to get
as much feedback as possible so the firm can weed out potential candidates.
“We’re hoping to have 30-40 candidates,” said Williams. “We
will sort through them and try to those that meet the criteria.”
Once candidates have been chosen, four or five will meet with the Anamosa School
Board. Each candidate will be brought in one at a time to meet with students,
then with community groups.
Each candidate will write an essay on subjects
that are important to the board and community.
Williams and Vande Kieft
expect to complete the screening process in January and interviews will be conducted
in February.
The men asked those in attendance to highlight qualities
the candidates should possess. Some of the things mentioned were integrity, honesty,
organizational skills and community involvement.
The group felt that the
most important issues the new superintendent will face include keeping the aging
school facilities, keeping a varied age of teachers on staff and the potential
retirement of school administrators. |
4HIM
Gives Performance in Anamosa
by Susan Yario |
Marty
Magehee, Mark Harris, Kirk Sullivan (on knee) and Andy Chrisman sing Deck(ing)
The Halls. The group is disbanding and currently on their farewell tour. (Photo
Submitted) | ANAMOSA–Anamosa
hosted the Christian contemporary band 4HIM on December 3.
Andy Chrisman,
Kirk Sullivan, Mark Harris and Marty Magehee have performed together over 15 years
as 4HIM. The men began the concert with Season of Love; a classic 4HIM Christmas
song and wowed the crowd with their hysterical rendition of Deck-(ing) The Halls.
Andy Chrisman’s alto impassioned The Little Drummer Boy and Sullivan’s
waves of bass empowered White Christmas to a new level. A
few of their timeless award winning songs; Measure of a Man, Basics of Life, Solid
Rock and Center of the Mark were shared as well. |
Chrisman,
Harris & Sullivan bestowed the audience with songs from their solo projects.
This stop in Eastern Iowa, came on the heels of an Indiana concert and
was the segway to a Toronto, Canada stop on December 4. The group will be wrapping
up their final tour in August 2006.
Dissolving the group, doesn’t
mean breaking ties but beginning four separate bonds of ministry as each member
of 4HIM embarks on their own mission.
The group’s last CD together
is titled Encore for Future Generations and has been scheduled for release in
January 2006.
Anamosa United Methodist Church (AUMC) and Martelle Christian
Church (MCC) co-sponsored this event. |
Tour
of Homes to Benefit Music Boosters |
 
Photos,
clockwise from top left: Inside the Kelly home; The dining and living room of
the Warner home; The Christmas tree that adorns the Corpstein’s Great room;
The outside of the Corpstein home; The Warner’s home; the outside of the
Kelly home.
  | 
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ANAMOSA–On Saturday December 17 from 2 to 6 pm, the community is invited
to enjoy the sights and sounds of this holiday season.
The Anamosa Music
Boosters are sponsoring a fund raising tour of beautifully decorated homes, and
music will be provided by Anamosa High School students.
Featured are the
homes of Joe and Julie Corpstein, Scott and Holly Kelly, Mike and CJ Warner, Kent
and Shelly Herren, Mike and Linda Weston and Kirk and Kris Kilburg.
Tickets
are $10 and are available at the following locations: Security State Bank, Citizens
State Bank, F&M Bank, Total Eye Health Care Center and The Razor’s Edge.
Tickets and Maps are also available at the door and you can start at any of the
tour homes. Please come out and help support your Anamosa Music Students.
This week’s feature homes are: Corpsteins, Kellys and Warners. Look for a
feature on the Herren, Weston and Kilburg homes in the December 15 issue of the
Anamosa Journal-Eureka.
Joe & Julie Corpstein Home
Sitting
majestically atop the hill off of Highway 151 at the Huntington Hills Edition
is the home of the Joseph and Julie Corpstein family. This two story brick home
was constructed in 1999 and completed in 2000 and was designed by John Winkler
of Winkler Designs in Cedar Rapids. The front of the Corpstein house is graced
by large columns which line the center portion of the entry and is repeated on
a smaller version throughout the interior of the home in beautiful cherry and
painted poplar woodwork.
The entryway of the home is highlighted by a
winding staircase which leads to the upper level bedrooms and open hallway that
overlooks the great room below. The main level includes the family’s great
room featuring two story windows framed around the beautiful fireplace.
To the right of the great room is the kitchen and dining room, which at one time
was divided by a wall made up of a 400 gallon fish aquarium. The family is converting
the aquarium into a bar area for additional seating and the fish tank has been
donated to the Dubuque River Museum.
The basement level of the Corpstein
home includes bedrooms, family room and is highlighted by the family’s theatre
room, complete with nine theatre-style chairs, recessed movie screen and snack
bar area. This room, along with the outdoor swimming pool, are the favorite areas
of the Corpstein children.
Join the Corpstein family as they share their
holiday cheer and beautiful home this Christmas season!
Scott &
Holly Kelly Home
Nestled at the edge of Remley Woods Park located in the
northern part of Anamosa is the residence of Scott and Holly Kelly who reside
at 104 Nasinus Road. The Kelly home is a split level ranch style house which was
built in 1978 by the late Mike Secrist. Although the original part of the house
is 28 years old, there have been two major additions constructed in the past eight
years.
A 24 by 26 family and dining room, built by the Kelly’s and their
family, was added to the rear of the house in 1996 and just recently completed
and built by C.J. Patnode and crew was a 24 by 28 master suite and den which was
constructed above the original garage.
The 1996 addition features a sunken
room with vaulted ceilings including a dining area and family room divided by
a three-sided fireplace and entertainment center. This addition is highlighted
by the large glass windows which make up the entire north wall and the family’s
Kimball Grand Piano.
The more recent addition features a master bedroom
and bathroom, a large walk-in closet and the family den, which overlooks the woods
through a large bay window.
Music can be heard throughout the Kelly home
on occasion as sons Josh, Mitchell and Colten all enjoy their guitars as well
as the family’s two pianos and 1960 three-rank pipe organ which lines the
west wall of the basement family room. That music, as well as fellowship and the
warmth of Christmas cheer will be in abundance as you are welcomed to the Kelly
home.
Michael & Cynthia Warner Home
With the beauty of nature
as a natural setting and mature trees for a backdrop, the residence of Dr Michael
and Cynthia Warner sits serenely tucked back from the edge of Nasinus Circle on
the north edge of town. The Warner’s home at 109 Nasinus Road was built by
Doug Ricklefs in 1987 as a two-story dwelling on three and one-half acres of land.
Since that time, Mike and CJ have had the basement finished and added a ground-level
sunroom in 1994 and just recently added on a three-story addition to the back
of the house, also constructed by Doug Ricklefs.
The 1994 sunroom addition
includes a whirlpool and tropical furniture and features large windows on all
three walls as well as sky lights. The sunroom opens up to a spacious deck area
where the Warners frequently entertain and grill out.
Their most recent
addition, which spans all three levels, includes a master suite on the second
level; a large family area and expanded kitchen on the main level and a fitness
and storage area on the basement level. The master suite includes a large walk-in
closet complete with washer and dryer, a spacious bathroom with a tiled tub and
shower and the actual bedroom area highlighted by a large bay window overlooking
the woods behind. The expanded kitchen and family area on the main level is one
of the Warner’s favorite spots as the new island area is a great place for
friends and family to gather.
The Warner’s also take great pride
in their lawn and gardens and will be especially gearing up this spring as their
daughter Jennifer will be married in a ceremony to be held in the family’s
back acreage. Christmas cheer and friendly fellowship will be a glow at the home
of Mike, C.J., Jennifer and Paul Warner this Christmas season! |
PO
Box 108, 208 W. Main Street, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-3511,
FAX 319-462-4540
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Anamosa Publications
Anamosa Journal-Eureka / Town Crier 2005
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