| | 
The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
April 13, 2006 |
New Council Member Appointed
by Michelle Phillips |
The Anamosa City Council held a special session on April 4 to appoint a new member to the council after the resignation of Steve Vaca in March. The seat was an At-Large opening.
The council worked from a list of 10 questions prepared by City Administrator Pat Callahan. He told the council they could use the questions if they liked, and reminded them that the questions should be consistent for each candidate.
There were four candidates scheduled to be interviewed at the evening meeting, but the first, Scott Torkelson, withdrew his application at the last minute. The other three candidates were Sam Montgomery, Byron (Barney) Dirks and Bill Feldmann.
|
Bill Feldmann
New Anamosa Councilman |
Montgomery was the first to interview for the position. He has experience with community government and served as mayor and a councilman in Lisbon. Montgomery, who is retired, told the council he has an interest in the community because he owns Anamosa Building Supply.
Montgomery said he couldn’t think of anything that needed to be changed as far as the city is concerned. He did cite the need for an improved sewage system, burnt out lights on Main Street and easier access for pedestrians who live east of Highway 151.
When asked if he had questions, Montgomery said he felt the agendas for the council meetings were too vague. He then said that the council members get a chance to look over the packets they receive and discuss the items before the council meetings. A measure that is illegal based on public information laws.
The mayor clarified that the council members do get packets, but no discussion takes place between the members prior to the council meetings.
Dirks, who is employed by Anamosa Building Supply, was the next to interview and told the council his interest in the position is based on his longtime residency in Anamosa. He said he was not necessarily knowledgeable on city matters, but said he was willing to learn.
He told the council that he feels Anamosa has made great progress in the past few years.
“I feel there are more good things in the future that will improve the city,” Dirks said.
Dirks also discussed the sewage problem and burnt out street lamps as items that need to be rectified by the city.
Feldmann was the last to meet with council members, and told the men that he grew up in Anamosa, left and came back six and a half years ago. He is retiring from the Cedar Rapids Police Department in May and served in the military for 30 years.
The council asked if he felt he could be objective when decisions needed to be made concerning the Anamosa Police Department.
He told the men that he had dealt with many situations in the military, including woman soldiers, and that he had always been objective and fair.
Feldmann said he would like to see the city concentrate on getting people off the four-lane and into Anamosa. He also talked about the sewage system needing improvement as well as using the river to draw people in for recreational activities
Each of the candidates was asked if they had interest in serving on the Jones County Board of Adjustments or the Planning and Zoning Commission, both positions were also filled by Vaca. All of the interviewees said they would be interested if they were not chosen.
After the interviews were complete, the city council discussed the applicants qualifications and voted to add Feldmann as the newest member.
One of the reasons the council was impressed with Feldmann was his education. He has three degrees form Mount Mercy College, including psychology, biology and business.
Feldmann and his wife, Susan, have two daughters. They are the owners of Feldmann Yard -N Garden in Anamosa.
Feldmann was sworn in at the April 10 city council meeting.
He said of his bid for council, “I want Anamosa to be a better place to live and raise a family”.
The council voted to appoint Dirks to the Jones County Board of Adjustments and Montgomery to the Planning and Zoning Commission. |
Ford Nominated for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award
by Michelle Phillips |
Gloria Ford of Anamosa was surprised when she won one of the KCRG 9 Who Care awards in January for her 33 years of volunteer work at Camp Courageous, and now she has been chosen to compete for an even bigger honor, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service.
The award is given to five people who have received recognition from a Media outlet for their outstanding volunteer work.
“We (9 Who Care winners) knew one of the nine would be going, but it was determined by a committee out East,” Ford said via telephone from Camp Courageous.
|
Gloria Ford |
Ford said she was happy to find out she was nominated for he award.
“I didn’t know it until it was announced on the channel 9 news last week,” explained Ford. “I think my mouth fell open. I was dumbfounded, astonished, overwhelmed, I mean you could put any of those adjectives in there and it’ll work.”
Ford will be in Washington DC for the award celebration June 19-21. She said the contestants have a planned itinerary. There will be a welcoming dinner on June 19, a sight seeing trip and a senate reception along with the awards banquet on June 20 and a breakfast on June 21. Ford said she was going to take a little extra time to visit a relative in Virginia.
Ford said the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis award was really just icing on the cake after receiving the KCRG 9 Who Care award.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m already a winner,” she said.
She said her family was thrilled to hear that she would be traveling to Washington DC to for the awards banquet. |
Hancock Holds Community Forum in Anamosa
by Michelle Phillips |
 |
Iowa District 16 Senator Tom Hancock made a stop at the Jones County Courthouse in Anamosa for an early morning community forum April 8.
Hancock first gave the small group an update on Iowa House Representative Ray Zirkelbach of Monticello, who is in the Iowa National Guard. Ray’s unit is currently in Iraq and will be deployed to Iraq in coming days.
Eminent domain was one of the topics Hancock addressed as being debated in the legislature. |
“Some of the larger communities are worried they won’t be able to progress,” said Hancock, who cited the aquarium in Dubuque as an example of eminent domain.
“Nobody wants the government to take away their land, I know I don’t”, Hancock added.
Bob Hatcher and Joan Marlin were on hand to ask the senator about an increase in tourism dollars. Hancock said he didn’t think it would be feasible at this time.
“I’ll use the example right next door,” said Hancock as he motioned toward the Anamosa State Penitentiary. “We can’t even fully fund corrections.”
Hancock included that there could be additional funding for an infrastructure bill. The money would come from gambling dollars.
He said millions of dollars are being used to dredge lakes. Hancock said he and fellow legislators are wondering why the money isn’t being spent on more “meat and potatoes” projects.
Finally Hancock added that legislators don’t like to vote on line items, such as tourism.
Hancock told people t the forum that the first Touchplay lawsuit has been filed by a distributor of the slot like machines. He was asked how the machines ever became so widespread.
“As I understand it, the lottery asked to expand, and the Legislature said, ‘go ahead’,” he explained of the 2001 decision, which was before his election to Senate.
“In 2004 they asked to try out the Touchplay machines in a few places,” he said and added that the machine originally gave tickets for merchandise in bars.
Hancock said he voted to have the machines removed from public places because of the response he received from his constituents, though he wanted to ban the machines as of September 1, not May 1. Hancock said 70% of the emails he received asked that he vote for the ban. Historically Hancock has determined votes based on what those in his district want.
Business owners who don’t remove the machines by May 1 will face a 65% excise tax.
When asked where the money from lawsuits would come from he said, “The money will come from the taxpayers checkbook.”
The newly proposed Iowa tax cuts were also on citizens’ minds. The Senate Democratic tax cut would achieve the following:
• Provide more and fairer tax relief than the House-passed bill (HF 2045), reducing taxes on over 1.2 million Iowa returns out of the 1.3 million filed each year
• Provide tax relief to Iowa’s senior citizens by completely exempting Social Security income for all Iowans and exempting pension income for everyone below $100,000 adjusted gross income.
• Provide tax relief to Iowa’s working families by doubling the state’s earned income tax credit to 13% of the federal credit amount.
“I do favor eliminating these taxes,” said Hancock.
Water quality is also an issue for the state at this time. Hancock said clean-up needs to be widespread regardless of the source of contamination.
“We have the worst polluted water in the nation,” he said.
Watersheds are one of the steps being taken by the DNR, who has been told to look into the problem and enforce laws by the Iowa Legislature. Hancock said putting $5 million into watershed projects is a step in the right direction. Watersheds help to filter run-off and reduce the amount of silt that shows up in water sources around the state.
Hancock, who has not come out endorsing a candidate for governor, responded to a question concerning this matter. He told the group he would support Mike Blouin for governor and Rick Dickinson for US Congressional 1st District, Congressman Jim Nussle’s spot. |
Veterans Open House Held
by Michelle Phillips |
Bob Steben, Executive Officer, State of Iowa Veterans Affairs, traveled from Des Moines to Wyoming last week to speak to a group of Jones County veterans, concerning benefits.
Steben told the crowd of two-dozen vets that benefits are available, even though they may not think they are eligible. He said getting medical benefits, disability and widow’s benefits may be as easy as filling out some paperwork.
“There are things that may be service related , which you don’t think are eligible,” he told the vets, citing several afflictions.
|
Eugene Kula, Ron Holub and LaVerne Schafer listen as Bob Steben gives examples of benefit eligibility at a Veteran’s Open House in Wyoming April 4. (Journal-Eureka Photo by Michelle Phillips) |
The stipulations for benefits seem quite simple: the problem must be service connected, the veteran’s income level must be below a certain amount and the application must be accompanied by a discharge paper.
Steben said some vets might never be eligible for medical benefits because of income.
“If you have no medical condition and are above the $40,000 level, you’ll probably never get into the (medical) system,” he said.
Veterans who are denied for a claim can reapply, Steben reminded the group. He included that guardspeople and reservists can also be eligible for vets benefits.
Steben handed out booklets to help explain the variety of benefits available to veterans. He added that the benefits he spoke of were just the “tip of the iceberg”.
Those who attended the event were served a light meal of sandwiches, chips and beverages. The Olin American Legion also donated homemade kolaches for the event. |
JRMC Holds Health Fair at Anamosa Library
by Michelle Phillips |
On April 8 more than 125 people attended Jones Regional Medical Center’s Health Fair, which was held at the Anamosa Library and Learning Center. Participants enjoyed free, helpful information on a wide variety of topics.
Activities and informational booths included: Ask the cardiologist with Dr. Michael Chandra, signs & symptoms of heart disease, risk factors of heart disease, medication compliance, farm safety and lung safety, HDL vs. LDL cholesterol, family fitness activities, target heart rate and exercise for cardiac strengthening, cholesterol medications, ambulance tours and healthy snacks for kids.
|
 |
Those who attended could enter drawings for health related games and gift certificates and bikes were given away to Griffin Hansen of Anamosa and Caroline Olson of Hopkinton.
Photos, clockwise: Charlene George gets her blood pressure checked by Ann Davidshofer, RN at Jones Regional; Troy, Michele, Caroline and Clayton Olson of Hopkinton get some information at the Jones Regional Medical Center health fair on April 8;
|
 |
| Ruth Rogers of Monticello demonstrates her jump rope ability; Griffin Hansen, Anamosa, was the winner of a bike and helmet given away at the health fair. He is pictured with Michele Brock, public relations director at Jones Regional and one of the organizers of the event.. (Journal-Eureka Photos by Michelle Phillips) |
Fundraiser, Schmundraiser - At Second Glance
by Michelle Phillips |
Let’s talk about politics for a minute.
I would especially like to address the current fundraising events for Iowa’s gubernatorial candidates Jim Nussle-R and Mike Blouin-D along with Ed Fallon.
On April 11 in Des Moines Nussle’s camp was hosting a $250 a plate dinner with President Bush attending and showing his support for the candidate. If guests were so inclined, they could pay $10,000 to the Nussle campaign and have their photo taken with the President.
To me this seems like an utter was of time and money. Not only the money taxpayers must fork out to send President Bush to Des Moines, but also money that will be donated that could be better spent. I can think of far better things to do with $10,000 than smile for the camera with the President.
I don’t want it to seem like I am letting the Democrats off the hook. They hosted soup suppers in Coralville and Iowa City this very week as well. The idea was to raise money through $5 and $10 donations, or even just a free will donation, if that’s all visitors could afford. The money will in turn go to charities.
The idea was the brainchild Blouin and is supported by fellow Democratic candidate, Fallon.
I would like to think the fundraiser is for altruistic reasons, but I am more inclined to think that this is no more than a publicity stunt, like Nussle wearing a bag over his head during his first term in Congress. I think the awareness they are trying to raise is their own. It’s like they are saying, “Look at us, the Dems, were so much more caring and humane than the warmongering Republicans.”
The truth of the matter is we should all be weighing our votes based on issues, intelligence and past voting records of the candidates, Nussle in the US Legislature and Blouin and Fallon at the state level of Legislature.
It seems that the race is officially on–may the “best” man win. |
PO
Box 108, 208 W. Main Street, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-3511,
FAX 319-462-4540
Copyright
Anamosa Publications
Anamosa Journal-Eureka / Town Crier 2005
Thede Web
Works - Website
Questions
|
