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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
June 28, 2007 |
C-SPAN 2008 Campaign Bus Coming to Anamosa
by Susan Yario |
The Anamosa City Council discussed a plan by Mediacom and C-SPAN to bring its Campaign 2008 bus to the Lawrence Community Center on August 5 from approximately 9-10 a.m., at the regular meeting June 25.
Mediacom secured the trip for positive publicity around the state as Iowa is key in the 2008 Presidential election. The bus will be visiting Anamosa and 15 other locations throughout Iowa on a seven day trip. The bus travels around the nation as a 45-foot mobile production studio to major political events, schools or colleges and interested communities. Visitors can tour the inside of the bus to view the interactive learning tools C-SPAN’s website has to offer, as well as archived footage. City Administrator Pat Callahan suggested a Chamber Breakfast be held the same morning to encourage business owners and residents to visit the tour bus.
Anamosa resident Sam Montgomery continued to press city officials about why the installation of a sidewalk or trail on Highway 64 has not been made. He addressed council with a very preliminary cost sheet for two phases of sidewalk placement for 8,900 feet of needed walkway.
Plenty of discussion ensued over the cost sheet as there would need to be formal engineering plans submitted to the DOT and the City of Anamosa would be required to maintain any project constructed on state property. A prior scheduled meeting with the Department of Transportation will take place on June 26 and Callahan will address the concept of sidewalks along Highway 64 at the meeting.
Two public hearings were held on Monday evening. One concerning the State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan for wastewater treatment plant improvements, and the other regarding the plans and specifications for the Sycamore Street box culvert project and taking of bids. There were no oral or written comments received on either hearing.
A public hearing date was set for July 9 at 6 p.m. regarding a development agreement for a TIF rebate with Anamosa Lodge and Suites, LLC.
Items approved on Monday night:
• AmVets flag burning ceremony for Fourth of July at 7 p.m. at the Anamosa High School.
• Sale of city vacated property on School Street to Dick and Tammy Dearborn.
• Two additional handicap parking spots to be placed behind the existing space on the North side of East Cedar Street in front of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. The costs of the signs will be billed to St. Paul’s.
• Waiver of subdivision platting requirements for Wal-Mart, Inc. as it pertains to a third commercial lot on 115th Street.
• Purchase of an insurance policy for the Fourth of July fireworks display at the cost of $775.00.
• First reading of ordinance adding failure to keep water courses free from obstruction to list of enumerated nuisances. Second and Third readings waived.
• First reading of ordinance amending city code to delete standard penalty provisions of section 1.10 as it is a duplication of Chapter 4. Second and Third readings waived.
• City bills for the month of June 2007.
• Replacement of the walk-in cooler at the Anamosa Senior Dining. The city’s portion of the cost including labor is $3,457.34.
• Purchase of a portable electric generators, gas air system, and Industrial pressure System for the water and wastewater departments for a total cost of $4,600
• Purchase of furniture and re-upholstering for the Lawrence Community Center for the amount of $2,707.20.
• Payment request No. 2 for the Central Area Detention basin Project for $32,221.53 to Ricklefs Excavating.
• Resolution approving the contract and performance payment bond for the WWTP solids handling improvements project.
• Change order No.1 and payment request No. 6 for the WWTP disinfection system project, Phase I Taylor Construction.
Items tabled for the next regular meeting of city council include the awarding of bid for the Sycamore Street Culvert project. There were discrepancies on bids received, Doug Wilson of Snyder & associates would not make recommendation for the low bid from Arensdorf Excavation as he is not familiar with the contractor’s scope of work and needed to verify that the contractor was aware of the projects complete specifications and bid process.
Lengthy discussion was had regarding the sewer rate study and the affect the penitentiary wastewater has on the city’s treatment system. The BOD levels (bacteria levels) are incredibly high coming from the penitentiary. It may be necessary to require the state institution to pre-treat wastewater prior to coming into the city’s plant.
Senator Tom Hancock is to be contacted asking for special appropriation of funds to help pay for possible reconstruction of the prison’s water system. Public Works Director, Larry Driscoll offered to assist the prison in cleaning of the facility’s sewer system but it may not be enough measure to lower the BOD rates. The DNR has limits on the BOD loads allowed and at this rate the new WWTP will be out-of-date in no time. The city is currently affixing penalties to the penitentiary for the high BID levels and will continue to do so until resolve has been reached.
No action was taken on a request from Anamosa resident, Herbert Carson regarding the need to connect his house along with two additional houses to be constructed to the city’s sanitary sewer system. Questions arose regarding the costs of the project and who is responsible for them.
The first draft of the Fire Board agreement between the city of Anamosa and the Anamosa Rural Fire Association was an item of some discussion as several portions was had. The agreement will be listed on the July 9 agenda for Council approval.
Mayor Hatcher reported that Wal-Mart donated $1,000 to each of the following city departments; Police, Fire and the Tree Planting program.
A brief summary of the Parks and Recreation Board was given by Brian Harmon and Bill Feldmann regarding the Alcohol in Parks City Ordinance stumbling block. Harmon mentioned a subcommittee was formed to draft an ordinance for all city parks to be addressed by the Parks and Rec Board before coming to city council with their recommendation. Bob George and Callahan reported on the Tree Board meeting. Callahan will be re-applying to Alliant Energy for a tree grant this week on June 28.
The Highway 64 traffic study meeting will once again take place on June 26 with a formal request for a study. The group will also be discussing the ways and means of dividing of costs per entity. |
133rd, Zirkelbach Coming Home
By Michelle Phillips |
Members of Iowa 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, based in Waterloo, are coming home.
On June 19, Iowa Governor Chet Culver announced that the nearly 700 soldiers of the 133rd Infantry would be back in Iowa sometime in late July or early August. The soldiers have been in Iraq for 16 months, and were originally deployed in October 2005.
“For their own safety, we can’t release a specific date,” said Iowa National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood, Jr. “We have known about the timetable for several months.”
Hapgood went on to say that the brigade, which includes 4500 soldiers from 22 states, will be flown from Iraq to Kuwait, then to Fort McCoy near Sparta, WI. Upon arrival, the men and women will get medical check-ups, turn in gear and have paperwork processed. The Iowa soldiers will then be bussed home. The return is expected to be completed in phases.
Iowa House Representative Ray Zirkelbach of Monticello has been deployed with the 133rd Infantry.
“I’m very excited,” said Iowa Senator Tom Hancock, who was a freshman legislator with Zirkelbach in 2004. “I got a voicemail from him last week and he said he was packing and that the replacements were there.”
Hancock went on to praise Zirkelbach by saying, “Ray is a very dedicated young man. He has served his country well, both in the legislature and the battlefield.”
Zirkelbach was thrown from his vehicle during a roadside blast in August 2005, but sustained only minor injuries. He and another soldier were knocked unconscious during the attack.
In September 2006, two Iowa soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Nisely, 48, of Marshalltown; and Sgt. Kampha Sourivong, 20, of Iowa City, were killed by insurgents near Al Asad.
Controversy surrounded the brigade when they learned of redeployment through family members and the media in January, shortly after a 14-day leave in December. The Army had inadvertently released the information to the media before contacting soldiers.
The 1st Battalion was originally expected to return in March or April, but became part of President George W. Bush’s “surge.”
Hapgood said just because the soldiers are coming home, doesn’t mean they can’t be redeployed.
“Certainly anyone who wears the uniform today is eligible for redeployment,” he concluded. |
Weather Can’t Dampen Dinner on Bridge
By Michelle Phillips |
Dark, foreboding clouds collected along the horizon, but that didn’t stop about 85 area residents from gathering on the Hale Bridge to dine on prime rib and chicken during what some are hoping to be an annual event.
“I hope the weather holds out,” said Rose Rohr, who organized the Dinner on the Bridge event as she darted across the bridge.
Diners joked about being on a metal bridge as lightening struck in the distance and the melodic sounds of acoustic guitarist Melanie Mausser and flutist Lynn Snyder alternated through the dense air during the June 21 event.
Raindrops began to fall as guests dined on a meal catered by Daly Creek Winery, who also provided Penitentiary Red and Gothic White wines for the evening. A few people opted out before the dessert was served in the Rotary Lodge near the bridge.
During dessert Barbel Pafford, a cellist, and Steven Murray, a violinist, provided music for the remaining participants.
“This was fun, I hope they do it again next year,” said KC Kiner, Anamosa Chamber Director.
Center pieces of geraniums inside blocks of limestone were donated by Weber Stone and sold at the end of the evening for $15 each.
The unique fundraiser yielded nearly $2,000, which will be used for maintenance and restoration of bridges in Jones County. The event was held by the Jones County Historic Preservation Commission. |
Photos, Clockwise from Left: Lynn Snyder plays one of several flutes at the Dinner on the Bridge; Umbrellas cropped up when it began to rain; Eddie Coyle, Chuck Hoffman, Jim Langer and Mike Langer serve up dinner.
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Northey Meets with Anamosans
By Michelle Phillips |
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey made a stop in Anamosa on June 23 for a town hall meeting at the Iowa Farm Bureau building, speaking to a handful of Jones County residents.
Northey began the informal discussion by explaining the duties of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture (DOA) is made up of 400 employees, half of which are involved in soil conservation. The department is responsible for ag-related inspections and all weights and measures.
He said he has visited about 50 of Iowa’s 99 counties, and one of the topics that come up most frequently is how to curb deer populations. Northey said there are somewhere between 300,000-400,000 deer in the state, which take their toll on agriculture. He reminded that deer was an introduced species at the turn of the 20th century.
Northey spoke briefly on increasing organic food production in Iowa, suggesting that some CRP land could offer potential growing areas for organic fruits and vegetables.
“One of the challenges would be removing the weeds,” he offered, and added that organic farming accounts for only about one percent of all farming in Iowa.
According to Northey, education and marketing of organic products should lie with the producers. He included that there must be an interest in local products to market organics. The interest may already be there. Northey also said that Iowa has more farmer’s markets per capita than any other state and comes in third in the nation overall, behind California and Texas.
“Iowans have a connection to the land, and I think that’s part of the appeal of the farmer’s market,” he said.
Northey said there is a newly formed Iowa Organics Association, and one specialist on hand at the DOA.
Mixed operations was a topic at the town hall meeting. He cited a turkey farm in northwest Iowa that sells the manure from the turkeys for fertilizer. Northey said technology is improving to mix the production of animals with that of methane, but can be cost prohibitive.
“The digesters also need a lot of manure to produce energy.” Northey added.
Northey was continuing his tour of Iowa on Saturday, and continued to Jackson County upon leaving Anamosa. |
Weather Doesn’t Hamper J&P Open House
By Susan Yario |
The weather did not deter motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country from attending the annual open house at J&P Cycles in Anamosa. One gentleman, Alastair Burt, rode his custom built bike from Christina Lake, British Columbia just to attend this special event. The trip was three years in the making.
The event was overwhelmed with customers and visitors. Free food and discount sale items had people covering every inch of the facility. The Extreme Team Motorcycle Stunt Show had people on the edge with the Road Hazard Team performing hair-raising stunts. Duo, Josh and Angel Conway from St. Clairsville, Ohio showed their skill on the blacktop with Angel riding backwards on the front of the bike! A silent auction and a ride-in bike show were also highlights of the day.
The Cedar County Cattlemen were on hand to grill the free hamburgers, 6,500 of them! Other vendors included the Anamosa Rotary, who sold Dairy Queen ice cream bars, and the Anamosa AmVets Post 100 grilled chops for hungry event-goers. The rainy Friday night weather took a toll on the free food tent and 100 bags of mulch were needed to keep things from sinking into the soggy ground. The water soaked ground also caused parking issues. Owner, John Parham personally addressed the issues with his crew and was out and about on a golf cart making sure every vehicle had a safe place to park.
Jill Parham, who owns J&P Cycles with her husband John, said the Open House/Customer Appreciation Day is the company’s way of saying thanks to their customers.
“We have so any customers from all over the world, we wanted them to see where they buy from. We wanted to show them we are here to stay” states Parham.
She also revealed, “There’s nothing better in our life for a customer to come up to us saying thank you for being in the business for us.”
The Parhams gained supporters and a large customer base by promoting motorcycle events. Thus, they truly enjoy giving back by hosting this annual event.
Parham speaks from her heart and shares, “Our favorite day of the year. We build up all year long. It’s a lot of hard work for our employees”.
Her favorite shows during the Appreciation Day are the fun entertainment like the stunt riders are a great opportunity that people aren’t going to see anywhere else.
Friday evening the owners of J&P Cycles hosted a dinner of appreciation for their vendors at Fawn Creek Country Club with 170 guests in attendance. They were also the hosts of a fundraising golf outing with $5,400 being raised for Camp Courageous.
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Above: John Parham, Alastair Burt and Jill Parham posing with Alastair’s custom built bike; The annual sea of bikes at the J&P Open House.
Above: Warehouse sale!; Below Left: A brave member of the Road Hazards Team performs at the J&P Cycles Open House.
Below: Josh and Angel Conway of the Road Hazards team perform a hair-raising stunt.
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Recently, the company has expanded the five year-old call center in Daytona, Florida with a retail store. The “soft opening” at Destination Daytona was on June 11 with business going along just fine over the last few weeks. J&P Cycles employs 310 people in Anamosa and Daytona. The couple travels a lot but plainly states that Anamosa is their home.
Ed Youngblood, an industry writer from Westerville, Ohio is working on a biography of the Parhams and their successful business. The book is scheduled to be out in print in a year. |
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319-462-3511,
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