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Volume One Hundred Twenty Two Number 43 14 Pages October 23, 2013

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New basketball hoops on their Three vie for two seats on way for Buffalo Center parks Buffalo Center City Council The race for Buffalo Center City Council will be the only contested election on local ballots during the November 5 city elections. Buffalo Center voters will have three candidates to choose from to fill two seats, as newcomer Les Wubben is challenging incumbents Pete Paulson and Charles Silber for a spot on the Council. Wubben says it’s time for a change on the City Council, and he would bring fresh thoughts and ideas

News Events Soup Supper at Bison Senior Center The Bison Senior Center will host a Soup Supper on Friday, October 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. Chili and potato soup will be served for a freewill donation.

Halloween festivities begin October 26 Local Halloween festivities will begin on Saturday, October 26 with the NIB Adult Halloween Party, “Bloody Scarefest�. On Sunday, October 27, NIB will host the Kids Halloween Party and Sheriff’s Supper at the Heritage Town Center. Other events are scheduled for Halloween night, October 31, and the following weekend. See the Halloween Headquarters on page 14 of this edition for a complete Halloween festivities schedule.

Early deadline for next week’s paper The Buffalo Center Tribune will have an early deadline for the October 30 edition of the paper. All advertising and news submissions are due by noon on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Fall Festival in Lakota Nov. 2 Planning is underway for the Lakota Fall Festival, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lakota Eagle Center. The event features, crafts, gifts, homemade foods and much more. Lunch will be served by the Lakota Quasqui Committee. This annual fundraising event is hosted by the Lakota Betterment Club, which manages the Lakota Museum. Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward a new roof for the museum. Any vendor or crafter who would like to sign up for the event, or would like more information, should contact Char Spear at 515-5380116.

to the table. As a council member, he says he would respect the ideas and suggestions of all Buffalo Center citizens. Wubben has worked at North Iowa Schools for 22 years as a custodian, and he is also self-employed in lawn service and snow removal. He is a member of First Reformed Church in Buffalo Center and the Iowa Association of Building Maintenance Engineers. He is a graduate of Iowa State University, with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education. Wubben is seeking public office for the first time. If elected, his goals are to: promote economic development in Buffalo Center; improve the City’s infrastructure, such as the sewer, water and streets; be fiscally responsible; support the emergency services in town; and promote a cooperative effort between the City and the citizens. Wubben and his wife, Jodi, have three children: sons Anthony and Jonathan and daughter Laura. Paulson has served on the Buffalo Center City Council for the last eight years. He works at Heartland Power, where he has been a line foreman for 18 years. He is a graduate of Estherville High School, and he received his degree at Southwest Technical College in Jackson, MN. He served with the U.S. Army as a combat engineer between 1986-89. “I’ve enjoyed being a part of the decision making in our community the last eight years and hope to continue doing so,� said Paulson. If reelected, he wants to continue making positive changes in the community and make Buffalo Center a better place to live. Paulson and his wife, Sarah, have four children: sons Clay, Alex and Noah and daughter Brenna. Silber has served on the Buffalo Center City Council for the last 20 years. He works as a sales representative for KBEW radio in Blue Earth, MN, where he has been for 12 years. He has also served as treasurer for First Congregational Church in Buffalo Center for the past 12 years. He graduated from Buffalo Center High School before attending Iowa Lakes Community College, the Des Moines Art Center for photography, and taking drafting classes at Waldorf College. “I would like continue to serve the people of Buffalo Center as a city councilman to help create a stable and secure future,� said Silber.

Les Wubben

Pete Paulson

Charles Silber If reelected, Silber says he would continue to work for what the majority of the people want for the future of Buffalo Center. “I would be their representative and work toward their best interest,� said Silber. He and his wife, Emily, have two children: a son, Ryan (Erin Wiederholt) and a daughter, Jamie (Mike) Droessler. He also has three grandchildren: MacKenzie, Natasha and Gavin Droessler.

Two Buffalo Center parks will soon have new basketball hoops, thanks to North Iowa Betterment. NIB raised a total of $3,200 in grant money for two new hoops at Lions Park, and there was enough money left over to replace all four hoops at that park, as well as the basketball hoop at South Park. NIB executive director Alyssa Thompson placed the order for the new equipment last Thursday. Thompson addressed the Buffalo Center City Council about the project at its Oct. 9 meeting, noting that she had found a better, cheaper option for new hoops – complete with backboards, rims and nets – than what had been discussed previously with the Council. Total cost is $2,500 for all five hoops, which leaves about $700 for other improvements at the parks. The new hoops will be mounted to the existing poles at the basketball courts. NIB had previously talked about installing two of the old hoops at Lions Park on the west end of that court, near the tennis court, but Thompson said they have decided against that option, due to the added cost and inconvenience.

The basketball hoops at Lions Park have seen a lot of wear and will soon be replaced, along with the hoop at South Park. Thompson and the Council talked about possibly using the remaining funds to fix lighting at the Lions Park basketball court, as the lights have not been turning on reliably at

Recommendations top $1 million for water project Repairs to the Buffalo Center drinking water system could total $1,150,000, according to an evaluation performed by WHKS & Co. Rick Engstrom, vice-president of WKHS, and engineer Kevin Graves presented their findings to the Buffalo Center City Council on Wednesday, Oct. 9, after the City had requested the evaluation. The water system became a concern for the Council late last year, after a routine inspection revealed that one of the city’s two water wells was in poor condition. Both wells are about the same age. “We looked at the condition of basically the entire system and tried to identify what kind of deficiencies you had,� said Graves. This includes the water source, treatment system, pumping system and storage. Graves says the biggest overhaul is needed in the water treatment system, with much of the equipment dating back to the 1980s. He said the

expected design life for water treatment equipment is about 20 years. “You’re getting some extra time out of your equipment right now, which is good, but you’re also kind of on borrowed time with this equipment,� said Graves. He recommended replacing all of the treatment equipment aside from the aeration tower and the detention tank. This includes replacing the building which houses the treatment system, as the design of the building does not provide adequate access for replacing the equipment. Estimated cost for a new water treatment facility is $790,000. Major costs include three pressure filters for $60,000 each, $110,000 for the new building, $90,000 for electrical and controls, and $85,000 for piping and valves. The second area of improvement recommended by WHKS is to rehabilitate well number one, which has filled with sand to a depth of about 288’. The original well bottom was

City moves forward with new police cruiser The Buffalo Center City Council will hold a public hearing next month on purchasing a new police cruiser. Buffalo Center Police Chief Matt Holmquist previously addressed the Council about the need for a new police vehicle in August. He says the police department’s current vehicle, a Chevy TrailBlazer, has required numerous repairs and is no longer reliable. Holmquist gathered quotes on different vehicles and what it would cost to get one up and running for police use. He brought a proposal to the Council this month for a 2014 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor with all-wheel drive. The cost for the base vehicle from Forest City Ford would be $26,001. Numerous additions would be needed, including a light bar, radio, police cage, push bumper, spot lamp and police word wrap.

There are also some items which can be transferred from the TrailBlazer. The total estimated cost for the new vehicle is $38,776. The City received rates on a five-year loan for the vehicle from Farmers Trust and Savings Bank in Buffalo Center and State Savings Bank in Rake. FTSB offered a rate of 3.25%, while State Savings Bank came in with the low offer of 2.5%. Payments on the loan would begin in December of 2014. The Council passed a resolution to hold a public hearing on entering a loan agreement with State Savings Bank at the Nov. 13 Council meeting. The principal amount of the loan is not to exceed $40,000. Holmquist estimated it will take four to five months to get all of the parts ordered and installed in the new vehicle, and the Council gave him the okay to start ordering parts.

night. The Council gave its permission for NIB to proceed with the project. NIB will ask for volunteers to assist with installation of the new basketball hoops.

500’, and Graves recommended drilling the well back to that depth and putting in a new pump, a pit-less adapter unit, steel well casing and new liner. The work would also require modifications to the building which houses the well. Estimated cost for this portion of the project is $240,000. Another option would be to replace well number one with a new well, but Graves said that option would cost around $200,000 more. The City would also need approval from the Department of Natural Resources to drill a well on a new site. Graves said well number two is in better shape, and it doesn’t currently have any problems with sand accumulation. He doesn’t recommend including well number two in this project. The third item on the list of recommended improvements is the water storage system. Graves said the water tower has heavy staining and rust blooms on the interior lining, and there are OSHA compliance issues with the tower’s ladder system and ventilation. The ladder needs to be wider, and vents needs to be larger. Graves recommended recoating the interior of the tower – both wet and dry areas – as well as replacing the ladder and upgrading the ventilation system. Estimated cost for this portion of the project is $120,000. Following the presentation by WHKS, the Council moved on to how it could pay for the water continued on page 14

Content

Family fun at annual fall festival The Bison FFA put on the drive-through haunted house at this year’s Family Fall Festival. The FFA kids were assisted by Cory Myer, Tracy Adams and Rick Meyer. More photos on page 14.

Page 2 ................................. Opinion Page 3 .................................. Society Page 4 .................................. Church Page 5 ......................News/Obituary Page 6 ......................... News/Legals Page 7 ................................... Legals Page 8 .............................Classifieds Page 9 .................... Business/Legals Page 10 ........................ Marketplace Page 11 ........................ Marketplace Page 12 ..................Education News Page 13 ..................................Sports Page 14 .......................... Area News


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