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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
May 24, 2007 |
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony Set for Monday
by Michelle Phillips |
The Anamosa Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony will be held on May 28, beginning at 9 a.m. on the eastside of the courthouse. A veterans wagon will be on hand to take those who can’t go on foot to the parade staging area on the corner of Huber and Main Streets. It will also be available for veterans who wish to participate in the parade.
The parade is scheduled to begin between 9:30 and 9:45 a.m. It will follow a path down Main Street, then Elm Street, ending at the Riverside Cemetery, where the ceremony will begin.
Groups, organizations and veterans are encouraged to join the parade.
This year’s Master of Ceremonies is Pastor LaVern Beener and Pastor Ron Thatcher, of the First Baptist Church in Anamosa, will give the opening and closing prayers. There will be a cannon salute by Civil War Re-enactors, a gun salute, music by the Anamosa Marching Band, the reciting of Flanders Field and the placement of a wreath in honor of fallen soldiers.
The annual Memorial Day celebration is a group effort among the Anamosa veteran’s organizations: AmVets, VFW and American Legion.
The Anamosa Veterans Hall, located at the south entrance of the courthouse will be open from 1-4 p.m. There will be 50 new names added to the plaques on Memorial Day. |
Park Alcohol Ordinance Defined
By Michelle Phillips |
Bill Feldmann wanted to try to simplify the City of Anamosa’s Park Ordinance, concerning alcoholic beverages in parks, so about six weeks ago Feldmann asked that the city to look into including new parks and green spaces.
“My intent was to wrap all of the unnamed green spaces, Fountain Park and Chamber Park into the ordinance, which already lists WapsiAna Park, St. Patrick’s Park, Remley Woods and Monroe Field,” said Feldmann.
The first time this was addressed at a city council meeting, Jennifer Husmann, Project Coordinator for the Jones County Alcohol Reduction Project was on hand to support Feldmann’s proposal.
Bruce Miell, who plays softball at Monroe Field, was also on hand to ask that the city continue to allow alcohol in the spectator stands and shelter at the games. According to City Administrator Pat Callahan, Miell also asked the council to allow alcohol in the dugouts.
“I want people to see both sides of this,” commented Miell, who said he feels Monroe Field was a target.
The revised ordinance was written by Anamosa Police Chief Matt Menard at Feldmann’s request, but did not include the dugouts. The revision to the original document read:
47.07 Alcoholic Beverages in Parks
1. No person shall possess or consume, in a public park or public green space, any hard liquor, beer in a keg or any other container larger than one quart.
2. Kegs shall be allowed at Chamber Park for events approved by the City Council.
3. No person shall possess or consume or have in his or her possession alcohol, wine or beer in the following parks located in the City of Anamosa:
a. St. Patrick’s Park
b. Fountain Park
c. Athletic fields owned or leased by Anamosa Public Schools
d. Theresa Park
4. Canned or bottled beer and wine coolers are allowed in the spectator area of the softball facilities and park shelter areas located at Monroe Field, and shall not be possessed or consumed on the softball fields.
5. Any person in violation of this section shall be guilty of a simple misdemeanor with a penalty of $100.
At the April 23 council meeting, council members voted 5-1 on the first reading of this ordinance, but discussed that it should include the dugouts because there had been drinking in the dugouts. The ordinance was revised to include them. The first reading of the revised ordinance was approved 4-2 at the May 14 council meeting.
“The problem is, that there are a lot of young people there and you don’t want to convey that sports and alcohol go together,” said Menard.
Miell feels WapsiAna Park should be subject to elimination of alcohol. “The pool is located at WapsiAna and there are more kids at WapsiAna than on Monroe Field,” he stated.
Feldmann said Husmann was looking to have an ordinance similar to Mount Vernon/Lisbon, which bans all alcohol from city parks and green spaces. “I think this just shows we’re no where near close to that,” he added.
Callahan complied pros and cons of allowing alcohol at Monroe Field, which were presented to council members for review.
He included, “Laws vary quite considerably form town to town.”
The Anamosa City Council will vote on the second reading of the ordinance at the next city council meeting on May 29. The council may choose to waive the third reading of the ordinance at that time. |
May is Motorcycle Safety Month
By Michelle Phillips |
Summer is here, and motorcycle traffic is beginning to pick up in Anamosa, home of the National Motorcycle Museum, J&P Cycles and hill climbs, but May also signifies National Motorcycle Safety Month.
Even though Anamosa has a high amount of motorcycle traffic due to the related attractions, Jones County Sheriff Mark Denniston said that doesn’t seem to increase motorcycle accidents in the area.
“I don’t think we’re any different than other counties around us,” Denniston commented.
Motorcycle fatalities were totaled 45 in 2005, the most current figures complied Iowa Department of Public Safety. In the same year, the Iowa Department of Transportation had 138,433 registered motorcycles in the state.
Before you can obtain a license in Iowa, you must complete a motorcycle training course from a certified instructor, but for Jones County residents, that will mean a trip to another county because there are no training courses offered in Jones County.
“Training has never been offered in all Iowa counties,” said Toni Kerkove of the Iowa DOT. “We provide training in approximately 38 locations around the state.”
Kerkove added that classes early in the season fill up fast, but as the summer progresses it is easier to get in to a class. The Cedar Rapids office does not offer motorcycle training.
Classes are offered through Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids and Iowa City locations nearly every weekend in the summer at a cost of $125. Kirkwood provides the motorcycle, but the rider is responsible for his or her own protective clothing. The three-day course is held Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and includes five hours of class time and 15 hours of driving time.
“We’re booked now through the end of June,” said Laura Rybak, Kirkwood Registration Agent.
Eugene Meyer, Iowa Public Safety Commissioner, said even seasoned riders should consider taking a training course. “Learning to ride a motorcycle can be like learning any skill. Sometimes you learn bad habits. Taking a refresher course can open your eyes to some of your own bad habits. It’s also a great place to keep up on new techniques and perhaps traffic laws,” said Meyer.
Wearing a helmet can also help reduce the number of motorcycle fatalities, according to Meyer, who said 80% of those killed in motorcycle accidents were not wearing a helmet.
“Law or no law, that tells us wearing a helmet can save your life,” he added. “Wearing a helmet is really the most significant way you can reduce the risk of serious head injury or death if you’re involved in a motorcycle accident. Please do yourself and your loved ones a favor and remember to slide on your helmet every trip, every time you fire up your bike.”
Meyer said a motorcycle helmet law would have to be approved by the legislature and that the Department of Public Safety has no authority in this matter. At this time the legislature has chosen not to enact helmet law. Iowa did, however, have a motorcycle helmet law between September 1, 1975 and July 1, 1976.
Meyer and Denniston both included that motorists should be aware of motorcycles and remem ber to watch for them on roadways.
“Drivers need to remember to always check their blind spots and be particularly mindful at intersections and when turning,” Meyer suggested.
“The rest of us that aren’t on motorcycles need to keep our eyes open in the summer months because of the increased number of bikes on the road,” included Denniston, who added that the majority of motorcycle accidents involve a single vehicle.
In addition, Meyer said motorcycle maintenance is very important.
“When Spring comes, it’s easy to get excited and want to ride right away. We suggest that you take a day and have a mechanic look over your bike. It’s a small thing that we don’t often think about, but when you know your engine and brakes are going to operate properly you can focus on a safe ride,” he concluded. |
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Box 108, 208 W. Main Street, Anamosa, IA 52205
319-462-3511,
FAX 319-462-4540
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