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Film company acquires right to book by former Crystal Lake man

Garner Community Thanksgiving The tradition continues‌the annual Garner Community Thanksgiving will be held Thursday, Nov.28 beginning 12 noon. St. Paul Lutheran Church, 810 State St., Garner, will host this year’s dinner. The dinner will include a traditional Thanksgiving dinner complete with “turkey with all the trimmings.â€? It is a time of fellowship and an opportunity to give thanks to God for all He has provided. The dinner is planned in cooperation with Garner area churches. There is no charge for the dinner. A free will offering will benefit God’s Pantry, the community food pantry. Carry-out or delivery options for those unable to come to the church are available. To make reservations, call 9233545 and specify how many will be attending the dinner. When calling for carry-out or delivery, please leave your phone number and address.

Community Calendar Wednesday, Nov. 20

Common Threads quilt interest group will meet at 9 a.m. at the Britt Public Library. HCHS Volunteer Jewelry Sale from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Atrium of Hancock County Memorial Hospital. Saturday, Nov. 23 Ethnic Bake Sale at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Klemme QQC Auction at the Klemme Fire Station. Lunch begins at 11a.m., auction at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 Garner City Council Meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Day Garner Community Thanksgiving dinner will begin at noon at St. Paul Lutheran. Call 923-3545 for reservations. Tuesday, Dec. 3 Open Forum meeting at City Hall at 6:30 p.m. about purchase of Garner Golf & Country Club. All questions welcome, open to the public.

By Rebecca Peter A former Crystal Lake man has written a suspense/thriller novel, to which the film rights were recently acquired by a film company. Lonetree Entertainment and producer Tony Eldridge have acquired the film rights to Alan A. Larson’s debut suspense/thriller, “Mexizona – An American Dream.� “Mexizona� borrows its plot from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in an attempt to highlight both sides of the current controversial illegal immigration situation at the U.S./Mexico border. According to a press release, the book has garnered numerous accolades from reviewers, which brought it to the attention of Hollywood. The author, Alan Larson, of Scottsdale, Ariz. has held top financial and operational management positions in five startups, including Citrix Systems, Inc. and HBS International. He currently serves as an officer and board member of another high-tech startup. A 1973 graduate of Woden-Crystal

Lake, Larson grew up on a dairy farm south of Crystal Lake. He obtained his Associates degree from NIACC, a bachelors degree Minnesota State University, Mankato, and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He is the son of Anne Larson of Buffalo Center. Alan always wanted to write and knew in the back of his mind, he would write books some day. “I’ve been writing for a long, long time and had Alan A. Larson never sold a thing, mainmost myself,� he continly because I was a pretty awful writer for a long time,� he said. ued. (Some of his favorite authors “I didn’t start improving until I attended are Tom Clancy, Mario Puzo, James the University of Iowa’s Summer Writ- Clavell and Daniel Silva.) Although “Mexizona� is set in the ing Festival for the first time in 2001.� “I write suspense/thrillers because West, Alan’s other novels are set in that’s the kind of books I enjoy reading various locations.

“The one I’m currently writing (“Where Have All The Flowers Gone�) is set in Denver, California, and China,� he said. “The next book I’m going to publish, The Last Gypsy Princess, is set mainly in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville. “Other books visit Amsterdam, Paris, and South Africa. I have been lucky enough to have traveled to almost every location in my books. Inspiration for stories can come from anywhere, he says. “Mexizona was inspired by actual events occurring in Arizona,� Alan stated. “Where have all the Flowers Gone was inspired by events that happened to

one of my friends.� Alan’s rural Iowa up-bringing also influences his writing. “I must admit to that old saying, you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy,� he stated. It will be a while before “Mexizona� will actually be seen in movie theaters. “Lonetree Entertainment is an independent producer,� Larson explained. “They are in the process of trying to attach talent (director/actors, etc.) and then will be seeking financing. The most likely scenario is for them to coproduce the film with one of the large Hollywood film companies, so there’s still a long way to go before it hits the silver screen.� “My whole family is actually very supportive and excited about the Hollywood potential,� he added. “Mexizona� is available in English for Kindle, Nook and iBooks. Larson’s second thriller, “The Last Gypsy Princess,� is planned for publication this winter.

By Rebecca Peter The Garner City Council scheduled a public hearing on the voluntary annexation of 77.54 acres of the Garner Golf and Country Club, Inc. into the Garner city limits will be held 7 p.m., Tuesday. The city is in the process of buying the golf course. In February, the council was approached by the country club board of trustees about the possibility of the city purchasing the facility, in the face of declining membership and being approximately $140,000 in debt. The city and county board have negotiated a purchase agreement and an operating agreement. A new non-profit foundation will operate the course. The proposed purchase price is to be Garner Golf and County Club’s debt balance at the end of the year, according to Randy Lansing, city administrator. The city will use local options sales tax revenue for the purchase. Approval of the purchase agreement and the operating agreement is scheduled for the Dec. 10 city council meeting. A public information meeting pertaining to the golf course acquisition will be held Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m. at city hall. The annexation will also include portions of Hwy. 18 and the Canadian Pacific Railroad right-of-way that abut the golf course. Urban Renewal No comments or objections were presented at a hearing to amend the Garner Urban Renewal Area to include three

additional properties and potentially five new projects into TIF (Tax Increment Financing) districts. The three additional properties are: •The Garner Golf Course property. •Hejlik’s 3rd Subdivision property •The former Army Reserve property. “We know of no project for the Army Reserve property at this time,â€? said Lansing. “All we’re doing is laying ground work so if something should come in the future, at least they’ll be in the Urban Renewal Area.â€? Future public projects to be paid from incremental property tax revenues are: •Acquisition and development of the golf course property. •Library remodeling project. •Future acquisition of the school bus barn and baseball field. •The downtown revitalization façade renovation program. •Construction of public improvements for the Hejlik’s 3rd Subdivision. The council approved the first reading to amend the Garner Urban Renewal Area. A second reading will be held on November 26. The council approved a zoning ordinance amendment, which adopts a new definition of “buildingâ€? and revises the definition of “structure.â€? The amendment also drops the fencing requirement around private swimming pools, but restricts home pools to backyards and side yards. Cardinal Park City officials learned the a $5,000 grant from the Hancock County Foun-

dation that was originally intended for use for improvements at Reichardt Park, could be used to purchase playground equipment for Cardinal Park. Estimated cost is $34,993. Parks and Recreation Director Sarah Swanson reported an anonymous donor agreed to contribute another $5,000 for the Cardinal Park project. However, councilmen Dennis Drabek and Dick Voortmann said improvements to Reichardt Park keep being delayed. “You’re getting $5,000 [donation] to help pay for [the Cardinal Park] project,� Drabek said. “You don’t need the $26,500 the city is putting in. You only need $21,500. The council wanted $5,000 earmarked Reichardt Park and to start budgeting for improvements there. “We have to understand where our Parks and Rec has come from and

where it is now,â€? said council person Deb Schmidt. “We’re big business now. We have more parks. We have a recreation center. We have to realize it’s going to take a budget.â€? Matt O’Brien of NIACOG, presented the Hancock County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation plan to the council. The council has 30 days to review the plan. A Hazard Mitigation plan is required in order to qualify for FEMA funding in the event of a disaster. In other matters, the Garner City Council: •Appointed Jody East to the Garner Education Center Board. •Appointed councilman Dennis Drabek as the city’s representative on the new Garner Golf Course Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors. •Approved a contract for $48,438 with North Iowa Septic Solutions for

the 2013 Intake and Removal Project. A change order for the project to include addition project specifications was also approved. •Approved a contract for $74,904 with Charlson Excavating Co., Clear Lake for the Sludge Storage Lagoon Project. The council also approved a supplemental engineering agreement not to exceed $6,500 with Veenstra & Kimm. •Reviewed and approved the new farm leases with Harold Hejlik for increased rent to $220 per acre on the city’s 9-acres of farm land around the city garage and 4 acres of land in the Hejlik Subdivision. The city reserved the right to apply land sludge in the spring. •Granted a side yard setback variance for Paul and Dyan Childress for a garage addition at 690 W. 7th.

Council set hearing for golf course annexation

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Thanksgiving Day coming‌do you have your turkey yet? This flock of wild turkeys were spotted hanging about Prairie View Retirement Apartments in Garner last week. According the Department of Natural Resources website, the DNR initiated a program to return the wild turkey to Iowa in 1966, with the first release occurring in Lee County. Over the past 30 years, the restoration of Iowa’s wild turkey population has resulted from natural expansion from the early release sites. (Leader photo by Rebecca Peter)

Elementary TAG program highlights at G-H meeting By Rebecca Peter Garner-Hayfield faculty regularly share their latest classroom activities and curriculum developments with the board of education. The elementary Talented and Gifted program (TAG) was highlighted at the Nov. 11 school board meeting. Jennifer Kumsher is the TAG program instructor for grades K-6. Currently, 36 students are enrolled in TAG at the elementary. Kumsher noted that some of the goals for the Talented and Gifted program are: •To provide learning experiences based on higher level critical and creative thinking skills. •To provide opportunities for investigative study of self-selected topics. •To provide opportunities to become technologically literate and learn new applications of technology. She shared several examples of student TAG projects including a study on rocketry. Another project involved students using a “green screenâ€? and creating a broadcast news program.â€? The 6th Grade Math Bee is a TAG class for advanced math students. “I also organize other programs in the school such as Battle of the Books, Spelling Bee, and the Invention Convention that are open to other students who have a talent or interest in those areas,â€? she said, “We have a lot of high achievers,â€? Kumsher said. Dawn Bassett, media specialist, presented information on how the two pro-

grams collaborate. “We love having educational reports, and we’ve had some good ones this year,� commented Tyler Williams, superintendent. “We’re getting the right people in the right spots.� Williams discussed the need to update the fire alarm monitoring system located in courthouse communication center. Kris Hanson will get bids for a new monitoring system. “The sooner we can get this done, the better and safer it is for everyone,� Williams said. In her report to the board, elementary principal Cindy Yakel talked about a possible new reading series. Yakel and other G-H staff attended the Nov. 4 Governor’s Conference on Bullying. Grades 3-6 have been working on their veteran’s essays. The winning essays will be read at a Character Counts Assembly on Nov.26. Yakel also updated the board on professional development activities. Dianne Hinders, curriculum coordinator discussed various professional development activities and preparations for the Department of Education’s upcoming site visit in February Rene Denny, special education coordinator, gave the latest certified enrollment data for special education. Jim Haag, high school principal, said the students in the fall play gave an outstanding performance. The Nov. 11 Veterans Day program was 100 percent student led. “I heard a lot of nice comments from

the veterans,â€? he said. So far, 13 Spanish language students have signed up for the trip to Spain this summer. There be an assembly on cyber-bullying, social networking, and digital citizenship, he said. Superintendent Williams reminded the board the five-year Instructional Support Levy expires this year. The board again discussed having trainers at athletic events. “The next logical step is for Matt Graham (athletic director) to meet with the coaches,â€? Williams said. Other action by the Garner-Hayfield school board includes the following: •Awarded a diploma to Krystal Nau, an early graduate of the Lakeside Alternative High School. •Transferred $9,382.47 from the Home Construction Fund to the General Fund to purchase a trailer, safety and other equipment for the Industrial Arts Program. •Approved an application to the School Budget Review Committee for Modified Allowable Growth due to the increase in enrollment. •Hired Michael Ringham as an elementary custodian. •Accepted the resignation of Jeff Short as head cross country coach, pending a suitable replacement is found. •Approved authority for modified allowable growth for at-risk prevention in accordance with the Department of Education.

Ventura council accepts employee health insurance rate...............................................................page 9 Goodell waits for DNR okay on site .........................................................................................................page 9 Kanawha City Council sets policy for clerical services .......................................................................page 9

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