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Volume One Hundred Twenty Two Number 35 10 Pages August 28, 2013
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NIB looks to City for support North Iowa Betterment is asking the City of Buffalo Center for help, as the organization strives to make Buffalo Center and the surrounding communities a better place to live. Jamie Thomsen, Jerry Wiedemeier and Cory Myer of NIB updated the B.C. City Council on the various activities and projects NIB is responsible for during the August 14 Council meeting, and they asked if the Council would be willing to make a financial contribution to the organization. While most of NIB’s activities are self-sufficient when it comes to fundraising, the organization also needs money to pay for wages for the director. “It’s kind of a strange thing for a person to have to do fundraising for their wages,� said Wiedemeier. The representatives suggested the City could hire NIB to take over its parks and recreation service. Thomsen noted that NIB strives to offer activities and programs for people of all ages, and some things they hope to add include English as a Second Language classes and classes for seniors on using email and computers. “We want to target everyone within our community and find something that can benefit everyone and help the quality of life in Buffalo Center,� said Thomsen. “What is going on right now is really just the tip of the iceberg,� said Myer. “I really think there’s a lot of room for growth and expansion.� Councilman Silber said that while he supports what NIB is doing, City finances are tight. Myer suggested getting budgets from other communities to compare how they spend on different projects to what Buffalo Center is spending. “I don’t think that the priority list is dictated by what we want; it’s by what we have to do and where the
News Events Early deadline for Labor Day The Buffalo Center Tribune has an early deadline for next week’s edition, due to the Labor Day holiday. All advertising and articles for the September 4 edition are due by noon this Thursday, Aug. 29. The Tribune office will be closed for Labor Day next Monday, Sept. 2.
fire is currently,� said Silber. He cited current and upcoming expenses, including the water and sewer systems, streets and the Heritage Town Center. “I think we all support the idea,� said West. “We’d give you $20,000 if we had it. We appreciate your work.� Teresa Nicholson of Winn-Worth Betco also addressed the Council in support of North Iowa Betterment. “I completely understand your position. Because you don’t have an industrial base in this community, you have a lower tax income to your city, and it does make things a lot more difficult,� said Nicholson. Nicholson noted that there is no property currently available for industrial use in Buffalo Center, and she suggested that NIB could help in that matter by taking options on land. She also encouraged the City to look into new housing development to improve the property tax base. Mayor Armstrong said the Council would consider its options for making a contribution to NIB, and the topic will be put on the agenda for next month’s Council meeting. In other business, Cory Myer also addressed the Council in his role as North Iowa Superintendent; asking for permission to install angled parking along the new addition on the east side of the school. He said the limited number of parking spaces at the school is a challenge, especially during ball games and other activities at the school. The angled parking would only be along the west side of 1st St. NW. There is currently parallel parking on both sides of the road. Myer says that when construction is complete, the angled parking would actually take up less of the road than the current parallel parking, but it would still extend five feet into the current road. The Council granted permission to install the angled parking with four votes in favor. Silber abstained, explaining that while he likes the idea, he would have preferred to get some measurements before voting. Buffalo Center Police Chief Matt Holmquist addressed the Council continued on page 10
Siblings begin high school careers The Class of 2017 arrived for its very first day of high school last Tuesday, August 20 at North Iowa. One claim to fame of the new freshman class is that eight of its 36 members are twins. In honor of this rare distinction, the Tribune invited the four sets of twins to participate in its traditional first day of school photo on the front steps of the high school. Representing the Class of 2017 are, front from left: Cassidy and Natalie Sachs, the daughters of David and Renae Sachs of Lakota. Second row: Jared and Jacob Swearingen, the sons of Jay and Darcy Swearingen of Thompson. Third row: Sam and Rachel Hassebroek, whose parents are Steve and Sharla Hassebroek of Buffalo Center. Back row: Noah and Kendall Melz, the children of Randy and Jill Melz of Buffalo Center. These same students will be photographed once again on the school steps in May of 2017, just before their high school graduation.
School’s back in session
End of Summer Bash at Screaming Eagle Screaming Eagle will host an End of Summer Bash on Friday, August 30. Festivities begin with “Steak night� from 5-7:30 p.m. and a beer garden. Entertainment will be provided by Dueling Pianos from 8-11 p.m., followed by Sound By The Silb from 11-2 a.m. Ron Ubben’s 50th birthday will also we celebrated, and everyone is welcome to attend.
Content Page 2 ...........................Local News Page 3 .................................. Society Page 4 ................................. Church/ Page 5 ......... Obituaries/Local News Page 6 .................... News/Classified Page 7 ................................... Legals Page 8 .............................. Classified Page 9 ....................................Sports Page 10 .......................... Area News
The new school year kicked off in two waves last week at North Iowa Community Schools, with high school classes starting on Tuesday, Aug. 20, and elementary and middle school students arriving on Thursday, Aug. 22. A number of parents walked their kids to school for the first day of elementary classes on Thursday, including Mr. Jonathan Potter, right, who teaches social studies at the high school, and his wife, Carrie. Their oldest son, Jackson, is a first grader this year at North Iowa.
Kids filed off the buses for their first day of the new school year last Thursday, Aug. 22 at North Iowa.