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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
March 15, 2007 |
City Closes Sycamore Bridge
by Michelle Phillips |
The Sycamore Street Bridge, located near the five-way stop on Old Dubuque Road has been shut down as of March 12 due to safety concerns.
Larry Driscoll, Anamosa Public Works Director said the decision to shut down the bridge was made after some planks fell out. He added that bids for a new bridge will be taken in April and the city hopes to have it ready for traffic by the time school begins in the fall.
“The new bridge will be twice the size in width and will include a sidewalk,” Driscoll explained.
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The Anamosa City Council has addressed concerns with the bridge for nearly a year. The Army Corps of Engineers put the project on hold because they wanted to make sure the size of the culvert was increased to insure that the current flow conditions could be met.
The bridge is expected to cost about $180,000 and will be funded by Local Option Sales Tax Revenues.
“This is your tax money at work,” Driscoll concluded. |
Community Presented with Options for School District
By Michelle Phillips |
Editor’s Note: This week’s story concerning the Anamosa Community School District’s (ACSD) land purchase is the third of a five part series. The story deals with the presentation of district options to the community.
The ACSD Long-Range Planning Committee had received options on what to do about West Middle School from Doug DuCharme of Shive-Hattery, and in the spring of 2005 the group was ready to unveil those options to the community. They set a community meeting for May 26, 2005.
The committee set about making a list of community leaders they would like to invite to the forum and 87 invitations were sent asking them to attend. The district also put an advertisement in Town Crier and Anamosa Journal-Eureka asking people to attend the meeting and give their input. Only 17 people on the committee’s list and about 40-50 people total attended the meeting.
“The West Middle School meeting was not very well attended, but we agreed that we should move forward,” recalled committee member Vic Hamre, who said the group really wanted opinions from the community.
Committee members were then asked to evaluate the needs of the district and come up with a list of the most important items. The top three were as follows: Cost effectiveness, Expansion possibilities and Accessibility for public/traffic flow.
On the night of the meeting, citizens poured in to the West Middle School auditorium. DuCharme and former Anamosa Superintendent Carol Lensing lead the meeting. After a greeting by Lensing, she asked former West Middle School Principal Rick Delegardelle to talk about the concerns he had.
“Our halls–we dump about 300 students into our hallways, our classrooms–not conducive to some work and research. The rooms are small with little storage space,” he told Anamosans.
The meeting was turned over to DuCharme, who explained the committees findings concerning the district’s long range plan. DuCharme then presented the four options for the district: A. A separate school on the present high school campus; B. An attached school on the present campus; C. A new middle school on the MacDow property; D. A new high school on the MacDow property, located on Old Dubuque Road.
Community members were given a chance to ask questions after the presentation was over. The questions ranged from how much the building would cost, how it would be paid for and if the district had considered merging with Monticello.
Using Mount Vernon as an example, the group was told a building at that location that houses 400 students cost $12 million. DuCharme added that they would not know an exact figure until the planning phase for the building was underway.
The community was told that other sites were not explored because there was little land available in the amount needed by the district. Lensing also included that the land near the bus barn was not an option.
The bond referendum was addressed and DuCharme said it couldn’t come until 2009 because of bonds the school is currently paying off. The school did, however, increase SILO (School Infrastructure Local Option) tax to 100 percent. The group was told that PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy) funds could also be made available to purchase the land.
After the meeting it seemed the community was receptive to the idea of a new school, and the school had until December to decide if they would purchase the MacDow property. In the meantime studies would be conducted on the land. |
Pizza Ranch Back in Business
By Michelle Phillips |
The Anamosa Pizza Ranch opened its doors for business on March 12 after being shut down for a little over a month.
The business closed on February 7 after John Fahey and his wife Jessica attempted to purchase the building and their offer was turned down.
“They didn’t want to sell it to us on a contract at first,” said Fahey. “We had to move out to get it done.”
He said the owners, who had possession of both the land and the franchise, had put a lot of money into the business. Pizza Ranch didn’t want to see the location fold either because it has always made a profit.
“I don’t think they could afford to leave it empty.”
Fahey said the past month had been rough on both he and Jessica.
“It was tough not knowing what was going to happen, and we are very happy to be back in business.”
Fahey said customers can expect the same quality food and service that they had become accustomed to at the Pizza Ranch, and delivery is still available.
“We want to thank everyone for their patience. Jessica and I have put a lot of hard work into this place,” he stated. |
Chic Boutique Adds Style to Main Street
By Michelle Phillips |
Annemarie Weers sorts through a rack of clothes at Chic Boutique, a store she owns with Kristi Knapp, as she explains her history in the retail field.
“I worked at Macy’s in Texas as an administrative assistant and I learned from senior managers and buyers,” she said, and added that a dress at an upscale department store only has a shelf life of three weeks.
Weers said if a store doesn’t have a warehouse of outlet stores for the merchandise, it is sold wholesale to the public. This is how Chic Boutique is able to offer a $1,200 retail wedding dress for a fraction of the price. All of the items in the store are brand new, and still have original tags.
The store specializes in formal dresses, but also carries tops, skirts, accessories and now shoes. The clothing comes in petite, plus, junior and misses sizes and is usually one of a kind at the store.
“Many of the dresses are red carpet dresses–not couture, but some are made by the same designers,” Weers included.
Clothing that is too big can be taken in, but the items in the store are all they have, but Weers said if someone is looking for matching dresses or dresses of the same color, she could look for them when she and Knapp are buying.
“I can say with about 90% certainty that no one else will have the same dress when you go to an event,” she said, and added that the shop is a great place to find a dress for prom.
The women will also bring the shop to the customer. “If we know your size and style, we can come to you,” Weers stated, and said they can also email photos.
Weers, when considering the store, located at 118 East Main Street in Anamosa, asked customers who frequented Daly Creek Winery, her former place of employment, what kind of shop they would like to see on Main Street? |
Photos L-R: Annemarie Weers hangs dresses on a rack at Chic Boutique; Dresses available at the shop; Chic Boutique offers clothing items besides dresses, like these summer tops. |
“They all said a nice dress shop,” she recalled.
Weers and Knapp want to be involved in the community. The women donated a silk dress to the Anamosa School Foundation, which brought in $700, and Weers said they hope to donate to other organizations as well.
A small handmade sign in the Madison Center window marks the shop, and Weers said they would add a more professional sign at a later date.
“We wanted to keep costs down so the money could go for merchandise,” she explained.
Chic Boutique gets new items in about every two weeks and merchandise was just replenished this week. The store is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment by calling 319-462-3735. |
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Box 108, 208 W. Main Street, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-3511,
FAX 319-462-4540
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