The Wright County
Monitor
UDMO helps kids get ready for school Page 14 Mugwumps and Commentary Page 3
144th year Number 34
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Official newspaper of Wright County
Board receives semi-annual county treasurer’s report By Les Houser Wright County Treasurer Peggy Schluttenhofer presented the Supervisors with her semi-annual report of receipts and expenses. She told the Board that she feels the county is in great shape under her watch, and Watne spoke for the Board in agreeing with that assessment. The report shows an ending fund balance on June 30 of this year of over $2.243 million, with current net property taxes tallying over $10 million for total revenue of over $20.897 million. The balance on hand stands at $10,180,382.93. Schluttenhofer request approval of a tax abatement for a special assessment of $2,527.92 from the City of Rowan. According to the treasurer, the City won’t pursue the money for mowing the property if she tears down the house and cleans up the property. The Board approved pending meeting of those conditions. They also gave Schluttenhofer permission to reassign a county-held tax sale certificate for $415 on that same property. Supervisor Rick Rasmussen reported on attending the Prairie Homestead Power Show near
Belmond. He thought there was a nice crowd and that dust on the gravel road didn’t seem to be an issue. In other action the Board: -heard from John Rohrer, agronomist with North Central Co-op, that they will be moving two 18,000 gallon anhydrous storage tanks from the location along Highway 69 to the lot north of Clarion on County K. They will eventually be totaling disbanding that location and also the one north of Holmes. They would like to move them in September, and will get together with the county engineer on an approved route; -signed a grant request for $15,100 to pay for ½ of Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Lester’s salary. The Board held a special meeting on August 15 for the purpose of approving a fireworks permit for the Power Show near Belmond. By a conference call, the members all voted to approve the request. That was the only item of business to come before the Board.
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New Wright County deputy feels it’s a great situation here By Les Houser New Wright County deputy sheriff Barry Huedepohl feels like he is right where he wants to be at this point in his career. “I’ve stepped into a great situation,” said Huedepohl. “My wife and I wanted to bring our kids back here to be closer to her family, and it’s also a smaller school and there’s less crime. I feel there’s tremendous future potential in this department.” Huedepohl is originally from Williamsburg, and describes himself as “a farm kid that’s come home.” He graduated from UNI in 1996, and then spent four years in Seattle followed by five years in Denver. In 2005, he moved to a suburb of Chicago. “All these jobs were in the corporate world,” said Huedepohl. “My dad was a former military man, so when 9-11 came along it made an impact on me. I already had a triple minor in Communications, Sociology and Business. That was two of the criteria for a criminology degree. At the age of 32, I decided to pursue it.” He is not regretting that decision. “Day in and day out, this is the best career you could have,” said Huedepohl. “You never know what you’ll get. There’s always some humor along with excitement and
an adrenaline rush. It’s a perfect job for ex-athletes (he played football, basketball and golf in high school). It’s a competitive career which I like.” Huedepohl feels a key word to describe his law enforcement philosophy is fair. “I try to be as fair as possible with the persons involved,” said the new deputy. “If I treat them right, I will get more cooperation from them instead of a pre-determined temperament. My goal is to be fair with people and try to treat them civilly and kindly.” Another factor that drew him in is that he loves helping people. “Not everyone in society is predisposed to be a criminal,” said Huedepohl. “Most are inherently good people.” He admits that working this end of law enforcement is quite different from his most recent job in Illinois. “I was with the Island Lake, Illinois police department for the last 3 ½ years as a detective,” said Huedepohl. “I didn’t respond initially, but did the follow-up. I would take the cases from the night before and attempt to solve them. It would take time to put the pieces together to bring about charges. Here, I have to learn how to be the point of first contact officer. I need to prove guilt or innocence in maybe 30 seconds or less. It’s exciting and
DEPUTY BARRY HUEDEPOHL a challenge, but certainly also a has two kids, Kendra (5) and different aspect from that.” Derek (1). Some of that inside work has Huedepohl feels he has rubbed off on him however. “I’m found a good fit here in Wright an administrative kind of guy too,” County. “Sheriff Schluttenhofer said Huedepohl. “I like the behind is progressive minded and the scenes operations also. We could intelligent,” said Huedepohl. “It’s have a lot of cases to deal with at a younger department, and the one time in Illinois, while here camaraderie is great. There are there’s less calls and less cases so some characters here, but there’s a more time to spend on those things.” new energy and we all get along His wife JoAnn (originally JoAnn well. The sheriff also wants to take Lous from Belmond) just started it to the next level. I like what the work in Belmond, and the couple future holds here.”
Lucas Beenken gives Supervisors update on Iowa State Association of Counties legislative issues By Les Houser Former Wright County Supervisor Lucas Beenken, who now lives in West Des Moines, has a new position as public policy specialist with the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC). He is trying to meet with every county in his area, so he stopped by in Clarion this week to visit with the Board on their concerns and what his group is doing to try to help. ISAC is a private, nonprofit corporation that was formed in 1964, with a mission to promote effective and responsible county government for the people of Iowa. Counties in Iowa pay voluntary member dues to belong, and members of ISAC are elected and appointed officials from all 99 counties. Counties then get a number of services in return. ISAC’s purpose is to secure
and maintain cooperation among the counties and county officials, promote comprehensive study of local problems and find ways of solving them, provide methods of interchange of ideas among various county officials and promote and work for enactment of legislation that is most beneficial to the citizens of Iowa. Board chair Stan Watne mentioned current things that are being undertaken such as a possible transit fleet building and the continuing discussions on county involvement in the ambulance transfer issue. Watne said the Board shares concern on the property tax reform issue for the next legislative session and has questions about it. He informed Beenken that the County Social Services regional plan is working
well, even though there are over 20 counties in the region. Beenken wondered how things were going with a three-member board, and if everything was getting covered. Watne replied that he feels it’s working, and that all three help where they can and even if it’s not within their own district. “Such as with the Belmond tornado, we were all helping immediately in coordinating response and starting cleanup,” said Watne. “We’re all learning flexibility.” “With the good employees here, it makes our job easier in working as a team,” added Supervisor Rick Rasmussen. “We all try to be there if we can. I enjoy the aspect of utilizing the knowledge that Stan has.” Watne feels that ISAC can be a great help and go-to place for legislative issues
affecting counties. Beenken told the Board that TIF reform and bonding reform are two issues they are working on now for the next session. When asked about a gas tax increase, Beenken replied that they need to know the Governor will sign it. “Then we need all four party leaders on board, and half plus one to approve it,” said Beenken. “Even then, we probably only consider it in an off-election year. Then it’s not as tough to get done.” He said that ISAC was originally against the tax roll-back along with some other ideas, but were for a property tax credit. “Now it will be a problem to implement, so I’m not so sure,” said Beenken. He explained they are trying to get the credit equal to the difference between the residential and commercial roll-
back. “We need info to figure where the credit base is, then get it back to the counties in time to include it in the statements to be mailed out,” said Beenken. This September, the auditor’s around the state will send in the requested data to the Iowa Department of Revenue and then they will have an idea of what to ask for on the credit. Joe Skinner and Greg Soenen gave an update on the Goldfield dam project. Skinner said that progress is being made since Soenen jumped into the project. The 79-year old wooden low-head dam is one of over 170 structures like it in the state, and is badly deteriorated. They have learned that the DNR now builds rock arch rapids as an alternative. This location would need about a 60-70 foot area, starting above the old dam, of pools and rapids made
from natural rocks to control water flow. While the current dam blocks fish migration, rock arch rapids have openings to allow fish to move freely even in times of low water flow. They hope to have a final cost estimate for the project by the end of August, and were told they could apply for 50 percent cost share from the DNR. “The conservation board will help us apply for a grant, and we intend to make an application with the Wright County Charitable Foundation,” said Skinner. “We have set up a special account in Goldfield for donations,” added Soenen. They were hoping that the county could donate some large rock, and the hauling, for the project. While no decision was made on that, the Board did agree to send a letter of support to aid in securing the grant requests.
Jan Hennigar retires as director of Kids Korner day care center C-G Board handles several matters Served for 15 years
By Karen Weld, Monitor contributing writer If Jan Hennigar’s life could by “I began as the Kids Korner’s summed up in one word, it would director in July 1998,” Hennigar be: ‘kids’. First, raising her own said, “and I have to thank that board four children and working within of directors for believing in me and the community with area youth, that I could do the job.” Fifteen then working nine years within years ago, the day care center had the school’s pre-school, and most ten employees with sixty children recently being the director of Kids enrolled at the center. Today, there Korner day care center for the past are eighteen full- and part-time fifteen years. She retired from the employees and is licensed for 89 position in late July. children. “This past year we had
Jan Hennigar enjoys an extra cup of coffee and some freshly baked cookies with 8-year-old granddaughter Mady, as they study an upcoming event together. Toni Torsell whose children enjoy Kids Korner said, “We love Kids Korner. Jan was loving with all of the kids and did a great job.” After fifteen years as the Director of the non-profit Kids Korner day care center, Jan will now have more time to enjoy and invest in her own grandchildren Photo by Karen Weld
over 100 children enrolled,” she said. “We can have more enrolled than for which we are licensed as not every child is in the center every day and some children are there only a portion of the day.” As Hennigar reflects on her time at the day care center, she stated that her ‘greatest thrill was being given the opportunity to work with so many wonderful children and their parents’. “It just humbles me when I think of the number of lives I’ve touched,” she said. “I like the fact we have stayed friends with many of the families over the years.” She smiled when she thinks of the number of times, former day care youth who are now middle school students would see her in the school hallways. “They might come up and give me a hug,” Hennigar said, “at a time when that might not be the popular thing for them to do.” Kids honesty was always a favorite for Hennigar. “One day I wore a denim skirt to work,” she said. “One little boy told me that he didn’t like my red shoes. When he was out for recess, he came back to tell me, ‘I just don’t like those red shoes!’ Guess what? I didn’t wear those shoes again for a long, long time.” Kids Korner days begin early at 6 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.(weekdays) to allow for lots of parents’ varied work schedules. “Our greatest goal is always to make the day go the most smoothly for both the parents and the children as is possible,” said Hennigar. “Both kids, their parents, and us as employees have good days and others that aren’t. If I would notice a student who was abnormally quiet, I would try to spend some extra time sitting next to them and
just be there for them.” Jerri Linn who is a parent of a six- and a four-year-old said, “Our kids have always enjoyed going there. We knew that Jan really cared about our kids and to me as a parent. We definitely miss her being there.” In her term as director, Hennigar saw a number of changes. “There have been a number of changes in the state food programming as well as the state licensing,” she said. “But the good thing is that kids don’t change.” She said some of the food changes are good, as our society works to make sure that children receive healthier and more nutritious meals and snacks. While the nursery (for children up to two years old) is separate from the rest of the children, the balance of the center day is in what Hennigar described as a ‘country school’ setting: some of the day spent with all of the children interacting; other times doing ‘age appropriate’ learning or play. Hennigar always knew that when she readied herself for retirement, she would choose summer time when the programming is ‘more flexible’. “We always try to get the children outside as much as possible each day,” she said. “But summer is more so.” Kids Korner kids could be found in the community as much as was possible: summer reading program activities at the Clarion Public Library, daily swimming at the aquatic center, or special events such as an occasional weekday matinee at the theatre. So what does the future hold for a ‘retired’ Hennigar? Kids, what else! “I look forward to investing more of my energies in my grandchildren,” she said.
prior to start of new school year By Les Houser A couple of late resignations, along with contracts for some positions just filled, were acted on as the ClarionGoldfield Board of Education met this past Monday evening, Aug. 12. Bus driver Brenda Hilpipre and part-time cook Karen Schluttenhofer both resigned their respective positions, and Superintendent Dr. Bob Olson had no recommendations for replacements at the meeting. New contracts were also approved as follows: Alicia Petak as the 9th grade volleyball coach (she is a student teacher this fall); Anjanay Chambliss as the Middle School special-ed Para-Educator; Robert EnTin as the varsity cross country coach and Scott Herrig as the 9th grade baseball coach. Olson informed the Board that he has scheduled public open forums following the upcoming open house events. The forums will be used to answer any questions there might be from district patrons prior to the reorganization vote on September 10. The Dows forum was on Thursday, Aug. 15, and the C-G open forum was Monday, Aug. 19. Olson hopes to also have a couple more informal coffees before the vote. Olson also updated the Board on the city’s housing project and the school’s part in the process. “The southern half with the FFA test plot is transferred to the city, which included the swap for the football field and track,” said Olson. “The north half is now prepped for sale, but there are still issues to resolve with the storm water retention basin so things are a bit on hold for now.” Olson told the Board that the Iowa Department of Education has voted 5-2 to leave the current early start date waiver process as is, after
being petitioned to take a look at the rules for possible revision. “The law says currently no earlier than September 1 for schools to start, but 95 percent of the 348 districts in the State of Iowa submit waivers to start earlier,” said Olson. “We have requested to start right after the state fair, while folks living around the Okoboji area start after September 1. A lot of these decisions are being taken care of locally. Waiting until after Labor Day means school days in June. The State can’t have it both ways.” In a separate item along that same line, Olson talked about the State considering the formula for instructional days versus instructional hours. “Currently 180 days are required, but under that plan that would be 1,080 hours minimum,” said Olson. “We don’t want that to be the standard. If we go to hours, we would have more flexibility but we want to be sure we still honor the instruction time.” In other action the Board: -approved revisions or reviews of several board policy items; -approved the advancement for Dan Smith on the salary schedule, pending verification of transcripts; -gave approval for Board President Clint Middleton to approve late FY13 bills prior to being acted on by the full board; -heard from Olson that a retreat for all school board members in the county is being planned and tentatively set for Monday, October 7. It is hoped that it will include Belmond-Klemme, Dows and Eagle Grove; -set the next regular meeting for Monday, September 9 at 7 p.m.