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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
August 23, 2007 |
Zirkelbach Talks About Views on War, Returning to Civilian Life
by Michelle Phillips |
A lot of things have changed in Jones County and House Representative Ray Zirkelbach’s life since Sgt. Ray Zirkelbach left for war more than two years ago. The Monticello resident was deployed with the First Battalion, 133rd Infantry for 23 months.
While Ray was gone, his wife, Emily, gave birth to baby Claire, now 16 months old. Iowa elected a new governor and Ray himself was reelected during his absence. He was also promoted to a counselor position at the Anamosa State Penitentiary where he had been a correctional officer.
One of the things that didn’t change was Ray’s view on the war in Iraq. He was opposed to it when he left, and his experiences in Iraq solidified that opinion.
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“I thought Iraq was a mistake from day one. Part of the reason is because we already had a war going on in Afghanistan,” Ray said and added that there is a misconception that Iraq was related to the 9/11 attacks.
“Many people don’t realize that they aren’t related to one another,” he added.
Ray said many soldiers who were in favor of the war have changed their positions after being deployed to Iraq.
One of the problems with Iraq is there is no cohesion between the different factions. Ray said he feels the best way to handle the territorial issues is through division of Iraq.
“There need to be three different countries: One each for the Sunnis, Kurds and Shiites,” he suggested. “Iraq has never really gotten to form it’s own government.”
Ray said the country is driven by religion far more than the United States but that the people are generally good, hard-working people who just want to take care of their families, but they put religion first.
“No matter when we withdraw from Iraq, it’s going to be a mess,” he added and said that many of the differences and confrontations among groups have been raging on for thousands of years.
Despite his discontent for the war, Ray said he proudly served his country because it is his duty as a National Guard member.
“I still did my job to the best of my ability and I wanted to go with my fellow National Guard members,” he included.
One of the concerns Ray has is the potential mental health issues that may arise in returning soldiers.
“The biggest problem is going to be self-treatment for mental health issues and adjusting back into society,” said Ray. “A lot of younger guys turn to alcohol and drugs. It’s self-medicating.
He said he has suffered from anxiety since he has been home but not at a level that is debilitating
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“It’s just hard to go through the process of training, deployment and war,” he stated. “It’s hard; it’s
hard to adjust.”
He said there is such order and consistency in the military that coming back to civilian and family life has been tough.
Ray said people are curious about the war and sometimes ask him what’s really going on in Iraq? Others will come up to him and thank him for his service.
How does he respond to the questions?
“I say I personally think the situation is bad, and we shouldn’t have gone there in the first place,” he explained.
Ray said that sense of military duty and the ability to sacrifice is what has made the US military so affective. He also recognizes that personal sacrifice by Americans has not been achieved.
“There’s a me, me, me mentality,” he said.
Ray said the American people need to stand up and speak out against the war.
“If so many people are against the war, why aren’t they speaking out?” he asked. “There is no decent against this war.”
Since the military kept the 133rd on active duty for less than two years, it is not required to pay the soldiers full GI Bill benefits.
“I don’t care if this is going to hurt me politically. We need to get down to the truth. We served almost two years, and we aren’t going to get the benefits that some soldiers who have never been to a war zone get. It seems that they purposely cut us off five days short,” he speculated. “It creates distrust.”
As it stands, the men and women in the 133rd will get partially GI Bill benefits and full VA benefits. Ray is hopeful that the US government will review this policy and given the 133rd full GI Bill benefits.
Ray is looking forward to returning to the legislature and has slowly begun to attend events and integrate himself back into the public eye.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity voters gave me and for the Democrats putting me on the ticket,” Ray said of his absentee win during last year’s District 31 election.
Some of the bills that Ray expects to get attention in the Iowa House are the Fair Share Bill, an Ethanol Promotion Bill, a Financial Education Bill and a Veteran’s Bill.
Fair Share Bill
The Fair Share Bill would require non-union members to pay for negotiations if they want union support.
“I think we’ll see a reduced version, it may just start with state workers,” Ray added.
Ethanol Promotion
This would help increase the availability of ethanol in Iowa. Even though ethanol and biodiesel are produced in Iowa, much of the greener fuel is exported to other states.
“I think you’ll find a lot of bi-partisan support for this bill,” said Ray. “Hopefully we’ll also see more use of switchgrass, methane and other alternative fuels.”
Ray said that Iowa is becoming a “green collar” state and has seen a 1.1% increase in state economy in the past year.
“We are starting to see how agriculture can move us ahead,” he included.
Financial Education
“I just started the draft for this bill yesterday,” Ray said.
The bill would require students to tale a personal finance class in the 11th or 12th grade. Ray said this is important because so many young people don’t understand basic personal finance,
including balancing a checkbook and credit card debt.
Veteran’s Bill
Ray is advocating a program that began in Illinois, the Veteran’s Lotto ticket, for Iowa. With this program, 100% of the profit from the lottery goes into a Veteran’s Grant Fund. The money is then used for programs to help Iowa veterans.
A mental health component to the Veteran’s Bill is something Ray would also like to see. It would allow soldiers direct access to mental health care and mandate that insurance companies cover the services. Ray is working with Iowa Rep. Mark Smith of Marshalltown on this item.
Ray said the Iowa Prison System also needs immediate attention from the legislature.
“There needs to be an overhaul of our penal code and enough staff to handle violent offenders,” said Ray who is in favor of building a new prison, but would like to see it in Anamosa, not Fort Madison.
Ray went on to say,” There needs to be treatment for non-violent offenders and an expansion of the Iowa Drug Court program, which allows non-violent offenders to live in society under supervision of the court.
“It’s going to take some bold leaders to address this problem,” he added.
Ray said there also needs to be flexibility in the Wardens budgets so they can implement lockdown when there is an incident.
“They really need the backing of the Department of Corrections and the State of Iowa,” he said. “Another thing we need is direct appropriation for Spanish speaking correctional officers.”
In addition to returning to work and the legislature, Ray is also looking forward to getting to know Claire, reacquainting himself with Emily, getting back together with family and friends and looking to the future.
“I’m just starting to get used to family and civilian life,” he said. |
C-SPAN Bus Rolls into Anamosa
By Ben Parker |
The C-SPAN 2008 Campaign Bus made a stop at Anamosa’s Lawrence Community Center on August 15. It is the only bus C-SPAN has, and this is the first time it has been dedicated as a campaign bus. As part of MediaCom’s Politics in the Heartland series, it is making its way through the Midwest.
The whole goal of the tour is to educate people on what C-SPAN is and does and to provide a look at what purpose the bus has. C-SPAN is not mandated or owned by the government nor by any single broadcasting company. They are a non-profit public service, paid for by the entire cable industry. It’s estimated that five cents out of every cable bill goes toward C-SPAN’s funding. Their purpose is to cover the government in a unique way.
The station’s style is one of the things shown on the bus tour. It is more of a direct feed, pointing the camera and letting it role. It is a direct, critical approach, and they will never put undue emphasis by zooms or commentary during a speech, nor provide edited cuts, but the whole thing.
However, C-SPAN doesn’t cover an event, itself, but rather the government’s reaction to the event.
In fact each of the C-Span channels is dedicated to covering a particular government office. C-SPAN One covers the House, C-SPAN Two the Senate, and C-SPAN Three public hearings. But, they don’t just watch the government. They also do historical coverage and other things that are designed to get people to form their own opinion. C-SPAN Two also covers non-fiction books, while C-SPAN Three provides historical programming, as well as covering think tanks, forums and conventions. They’re not limited to the U.S. government, either. Other countries will often send them feeds, which will be broadcast to show a different perspective.
The bus, itself acts as a mobile studio, with all the equipment it needs built right in. It is a rather convenient tool that doesn’t require much time to set up. While constantly out on tour, it will sometimes provide that role if the bus happens to be in the right place at the right time. With the aid of a broadcast truck, they can even do live shots.
The tour is a form of open house, opening the bus to the public to see what it does, and why. They most often go to schools and colleges. In fact, before this year, the bus was known as the C-SPAN School Bus, providing teaching workshops, educating students and teachers alike on the services C-SPAN provides, on air and online. They have a website, designed by teachers, that can be used as aids to history and civics classes. The workshops are something the campaign bus is still providing while on tour, in addition to public open house
When touring the interior, people are shown comparative video of what would be seen on other stations as well as C-SPAN. Sometimes a clip from another country’s government session will be shown to emphasize the foreign connection. One of the games that students can take part in is a faces game, where a slide show is played rapidly. How many can you recognize? There are a lot of political celebrities, but there is one surprise. Cher can be seen on the parade of still-shots. She happens to call into the station regularly as a concerned citizen, so she was included.
Along with a view of the interior, spectators are provided with plenty of campaign material and information on the tour.
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Workshop Held to Outline Cultural District Designation
By Michelle Phillips |
Rose Rohr of the Jones County Historic Preservation Commission would like to see the creation of a cultural district in Anamosa, and on August 20, she organized a workshop to help Anamosans understand what a cultural district would entail.
Rohr spent about an hour and a half giving Jack Porter and Will Page, consultants for the Iowa Historic Society, a tour of Anamosa to help determine where a cultural district might be.
According to Porte,r they must be walkable, have mixed use businesses and residential and have several cultural facilities in the designated area.
“The only reason to include these (homes) is if they are looking to become B&Bs or shops,” he told Rohr as they drove through residential areas.
Porter said cultural districts can include newer buildings and are more interested in promoting economic development and use.
“Whatever you call it, when you walk into the area, you want them to have a sense that the cultural district is here,” he later told the group of about 15 people who gathered for the workshop.
Porter gave a powerpoint presentation highlighting the creation of a cultural district. One of the most important elements of a cultural district designation is the revitalization of the area. He told the group that Iowa is only the second state to implement a cultural preservation system.
He said that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack recognized the ‘brain drain’ that was taking place in Iowa and saw cultural districts as a way to keep young, creative, educated and affluent people in the state.
Porter added that the workshop was a critical first step in the process. Using the example of Austin, TX, as highlighted in Richard Florida’s book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Porter said there are several things to consider. The area should be a safe, attractive and fun place, should include evening activities, have a connection to arts and culture and feature an appreciation of different cultures. Ultimately the those planning the district should determine what to include.
He added that the only requirements are the completion of an application and a commitment by citizens. He said there is no financial commitment and no requirement of a 501c3 designation.
Though stressed that a committee should be formed to oversee the project. Support from local government is also needed.
Porter gave the participants copies of the applications and explained that there are both state and federal tax credits for work completed on buildings in a Cultural District. A map of the district is necessary for the application, which carries a $250 fee. If the application is approved, the money is used for signs to highlight the area. If not chosen, the fee is returned or held to be used for a second application.
As far as tax credits are concerned, the federal government offers a 20% credit for historical buildings and a 10% for non-historical buildings. The state offers a 25% credit, which can be used for a residence or barn,
There is a minimum amount of work that must be completed. For residents it is $25,000 or 50% of the property’s assessed value. On commercial property the amount is $45,000 or 50% of the assessed value.
Porter stressed that those interested in the tax credits should consult with a tax attorney to work out the details.
The deadline for application is August 31. For more information on the Cultural District designation, visit www.culturalaffairs.org. |
Strawberry Hill Adds Kindergarten Class, Board Discusses Importance of College Preparedness
By Ben Parker |
The weekly Anamosa School Board meeting was quick, lasting only 45 minutes.
The meeting began with a thank-you letter from a student regarding a scholarship he received from the board.
Because of the increase in kindergarten enrollment, Strawberry Hill will be adding another class with a new teacher, Sally Sandberg, bringing down the class sizes from 22 to 18. Other staff changes included an additional hour added to some members of the food services staff to accommodate the extended lunch period coming from the larger elementary student enrollment.
The item was approved.
The board quickly reviewed the 28E agreement for financial obligations in the Highway 64 traffic study. Superintendent Dr. Dale Monroe brought up the fact that a clause allowed for reduced cost through volunteer hours. If done right, it could reduce the schools required payment of $3,788 by as much as $2400. The traffic study is very much ready to get under way with a flag marked on the property showing one place where students would be picked up or dropped off. The motion to approve the agreement passed unanimously.
Next, the board quickly approved changing the meeting date that would normally be scheduled on Labor Day, September 3, to September 4.
The last actual act taken by the board was regarding a student teacher wishing to finish her studies in the Anamosa School District Spanish department. Elizabeth Medina Sanchez’s husband was recently transferred to Rockwell Collins. In order to finish her degree from National University in LaJolla, CA she needs to sign a contract with whichever school district will be accommodating her. The board approved the contract.
Reports were then given on the ACT results, the summer school program, and a grant executive summary.
The board had received a summary of the Keeping Up With the Joneses federal grant along with its accomplishments in the past year. It may be as late as September before and word comes whether the grant has been extended or not.
If there is no funding, the oversight committee would have to rethink the programs that the grant supports since they have no other source of funding.
Steve Goodall reported on the Summer Reading Academy for first and second graders, and the high school Summer Credit Recovery class. The summer reading program had a decent turnout with 24 students in the first grade attending. This was the first year to include first graders.
For second grade students, 20 constantly attended. The percentage was higher this year than the years previous, 88 percent from 82 for each year prior. From the surveys sent home, there appeared a high satisfaction rate from both the students and parents involved.
The high school Summer Credit Recovery class only passed 15 students out of 22 enrolled.
However, most failures were not because of struggling on the student’s part, but from those who simply did not attend. Goodall admits that there are plenty of reasons for students not to attend, be it work or other issues at home. In fact, 10 students who could have benefited from the class flat refused to attend.
“It gives them (students) an opportunity to catch up and get back on sequence,” Goodall said to the board.
Finally, the last and most significant report on the business agenda was of the ACT scores by the entire Anamosa High School. This is important because the regional universities (University of Iowa, UNI Iowa State University) have changed their enrollment criteria. The big three are now looking at general grades in combination with the type of courses a student took when in high school, and ACT scores are a great indicator. No longer can a student rely on taking classes that guarantee an easy A and expect to be able to get into college.
“We’re encouraged by the numbers,” Goodall said.
The overall numbers are up. However, this is across the entire state and not just Anamosa. The scores are compared to benchmarks in four categories, the benchmarks being indicators of college readiness. Those benchmarks are 18 for English, 22 in mathematics 21 in reading, and 24 in science.
Anamosa’s overall scores have never been higher, and place the school very close to the state average, even surpassing in the case of mathematics. Nearly two-thirds of the graduating class anticipates taking the ACTs which is a good sign, and the stressing of a curriculum with challenging courses will be good preparation. However, there are plenty of students who still have to finish their basic requirement course, let alone advanced courses.
Monroe pointed out that comparisons of curriculum and test results showed that students who went through algebra I, algebra II, geometry and trig did extremely well over those who took other math courses. In science, students who took chemistry, physics and biology did very well over those who took basic sciences. This suggests that the easier classes may have to be observed to see where they are lacking.
In the end, it looks as if the emphasis will be on expanding students’ horizons and trying to get them into advanced courses. They have a better chance of being ready for college if they take physics and get a B than if they take a home economics course and get an A+. By emphasizing ACT and college preparedness, the school is hoping more students will adjust their schedules to include more advanced classes. |
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