The Grundy Register
2014
Serving Grundy County since 1928
Thursday, April 3, 2014
www.TheGrundyRegister.com
Volume 90 – Number 14
School Board approves agreement with YMCA By JOHN JENSEN The Grundy Register GRUNDY CENTER — The Grundy Center School Board unanimously approved a new agreement with the Grundy Center YMCA, continuing a partnership that has been in place for more than four years. After discussing the agreement extensively at the February meeting, the Board passed the newly-created agreement without comment. The new agreement changes language in four paragraphs of the agreement, noting specifically when the School District has priority use of the equipment in the fitness center, which will remain in the secondary building. The new agreement states that “The YMCA understands that the facilities are owned by the school and the school shall have priority access to all facilities at all times as determined by the school administration and coaches.” It also states that the parties acknowledge that coach-supervised designated programs and students and athletes will have priority use of the school’s facilities and that high school inseason sports have the right and authority to have “priority access to all said facilities, at any time, even if the YMCA scheduled with Superintendent’s office.” The agreement also notes that the “school administration, coaching staff and PE instructors have complete discretion on the type of equipment and arrangement of equipment in the school fitness facility located at the secondary building and may remove or re-arrange any and all YMCA equipment.” Lisa Zinkula, a member of the Grundy Family YMCA Board, said during the public comment period of the meeting that the YMCA Board is fully in support of the agreement. “We wish to see the school and community move past this,” she said. “Grundy Center is truly known for being a community of wellness and fitness, and we need to do that together.” In other business, a pair of individuals spoke about possible budget cuts proposed by Superintendent Cassi Murra at the March 13 Board meeting. Paul Hamann made several suggestions for cuts, including starting the incoming secondary principal at a
lower salary than that of outgoing principal Steve VanderPol. He also suggested mothballing the school administration building and moving the administrative offices elsewhere. Laura Hummell asked the District to keep its student:teacher ratio as low as possible and that the District keep its options open regarding sharing positions with other school districts. Keith Oltragge presented the District’s Fiscal 2013 audit report, noting that the School District has a strong solvency ratio and had no major issues of being out of compliance. “Basically everything was in good shape,” he said. “You got off to a late start due to a change in business manager.” Gary Sinclair of the Iowa Association of School Boards spoke to the Board about its financial situation, noting that the district has enough cash on hand but is running into issues with its spending authority. District Technology Director Bob Munson presented the District’s five-year technology plan, outlining timelines and recommended action through the year 2019. The Board also approved an agreement with UNI that allows practicum teachers to come to Grundy Center and renewed an agreement with Gladbrook-Reinbeck and North Tama for a shared wrestling program. It approved three open-enrollment requests, two from Gladbrook-Reinbeck and one from AGWSR, but could not legally act on a fourth. Brent Thoren was hired as an assistant junior high track coach due to a high number of boys running this year and approved hiring Terra Walbaum as a preschool associate to work with a special needs child. It also accepted the resignation of associate Rachel Granzow and of cheerleading coach Shalane Peterson. The Board also set a timeline to review applications for Superintendent and interview finalists. Applications will be reviewed April 16, with the first round of superintendent interviews set for April 21 and 22. Final interviews will be held April 29 and 30. A special Board meeting will be held April 7 for a hearing on the Fiscal 2015 budget.
What’s Happening
Thursday, April 3 Crafts with Brenda Kling Memorial Library • 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 5 Grundy Center Methodist Church Rummage Sale • 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. DCBA Sandwich Day Dike Community Building
Free sandwiches, kids crafts, Easter Bunny
11 a.m. -1 p.m.
2Coats Community Night of Prayer Farm Bureau Building • 6 p.m.
Grundy Center, Iowa
Monday, April 7 Board of Supervisors Grundy County Courthouse 9 a.m.
Kaffee Klatch Kling Memorial Library • 10 a.m.
Pulmonary Support Group Grundy County Memorial Hospital 5 - 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9 Kling After School Time (KAT) Henna Tatoos • 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Thursday, April 10 Friends of the Library Book Sale Kling Memorial Library 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
$1.00 Newsstand Price
Grundy Players to present murder mystery By JOHN JENSEN The Grundy Register GRUNDY CENTER — The Grundy Players will present “The Murder Mystery at the Murder Mystery,” a one-act play Friday and Sunday at the Grundy Center High School Auditorium. The performance comes a year after the Players produced “Dearly Undeparted.” This year’s play, again directed by Steven Brunk, sees many key players from that performance return. The play, written by Brian D. Taylor, is set in a Murder Mystery Playhouse where the cast is rehearsing for its new show, “Putting a Little English on It.” At the final dress rehearsal, the lights go out and a character dies on stage. When another character dies under similar circumstances minutes later, the players find themselves replaying the death scene, with one more person ending up with a fire poker in their chest at the end of each scene. The play culminates with a surprise ending in which the actors must work together to defeat the murderer before he murders them all. Key roles are filled by Abbey Harberts, who plays Scarlet Mays, a diva actress who demands that things go her way and does not get along with the director, Jack Beck Brunk as Richard Green, an experienced actor who tries to direct and has some good ideas, and Aaron Beck Brunk as Brett Donahue, the director who has lost all control.
Richard Green (played by Jack Beck Brunk) attempts to awaken the recently-murdered Tom Bains (Seth Van Wert) during The Grundy Players’ portrayal of “The Murder Mystery at the Murder Mystery.” (John Jensen/The Grundy Register photo) Other actors appearing include, Issac Beck Brunk, Emilee Johnson, William D. Kirchman, Brett Mast, Garrett Nibbelink, Abrina O’Rourke, Harper Wells, Shana Sanderson,
Seth Van Wert, Jacob Waltersdorf and Chloe Wiltfang. Show times are Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Senate candidates woo Grundy County Republicans By JOHN JENSEN The Grundy Register DIKE — Three of the five candidates vying for the Republican nomination to face Bruce Braley (D - Waterloo) in the upcoming race to replace the retiring Tom Harkin in the United States Senate wooed Grundy County Republicans last Saturday at the annual Republican fundraising dinner. Sam Clovis, Scott Schaben and Matt Whitaker alternatively took shots at President Barack Obama’s policies while touting why voters should choose them to run against presumptive nominee Braley. “We need a senator who is not only up to the fight of taking on Bruce Braley, but also to take on Obama,” Whitaker, a former United State Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa said. He spoke at length about freedom and how it contracts as the government expands. He said the United States needs freedom from Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) and economic freedom. “The United States has fallen to 12th (worldwide) in economic freedom due to debt, tegulation and taxation,” he said. Whitaker added that he feels President Obama is against religious freedom and that the Second and Fourth Amendments to the Constitution are under attack. Clovis, an Air Force veteran and former businessman, college professor and radio talk show host,
Senatorial candidate Sam Clovis (right) speaks to an attendee at Saturday’s Grundy County Republican fundraising dinner. (John Jensen/ The Grundy Register photo) said it was time to elect a senator national debt and the importance of who represents Iowa values. He working with others. talked about term limits, balancing “We need to understand our role the federal budget and repealing the as a senator,” he said. “There are 99 16th Amendment. other people we have to work with.” “It’s time we get back on the Schaben said he would push for trajectory that Ronald Reagan gave a federal concealed-carry firearms us,” he said. permit and that the Affordable Care Schaben, a U.S. Navy veteran Act needs to be completely scrapped. and former car salesman, said it is He also said veterans should know important for Iowa Republicans what government benefits they to reward Senator Chuck Grassley will receive on the day they are (R, New Hartford) with a second discharged rather than having to fill Republican senator. He talked about out paperwork and find out weeks the importance of lowering the later.
The Grundy Register, P.O. Box 245, Grundy Center, IA 50638 Phone: (319) 824-6958 • Fax: (319) 824-6288 • E-mail: publisher@gcmuni.net, registerads@gcmuni.net, editor@gcmuni.net
Ad runs through Week 15
Could Main Street Iowa program thrive in Grundy Center?
By JOHN JENSEN The Grundy Register GRUNDY CENTER — More than 60 local business owners and interested individuals attended a meeting last Tuesday (March 25) to learn about the possibility of Grundy Center applying for the Main Street Iowa program. Michael Wagler, the State Coordinator for Main Street Iowa, explained what the program is, what it could potentially bring to the city and what the requirements to apply and participate would be. Using data from previous Main Street programs, Wagler projected that the program could bring up to 56 businesses and 84 jobs to Grundy Center. He said it could also bring up to 128 building rehabilitations and 41 buildings sold. “This is happening in communities across the state,” Wagler said. The Main Street program uses a specific formula tested over the past 30 years. It includes downtown revitalization and economic development. There are currently 52 Main Street Iowa programs in communities as small as 430 people to cities as large as Des Moines. Conrad, in southwest Grundy County, was one of the first Rural Main Street communities and was the first to bring the entire community into the Main Street program rather than only the downtown area. Shane Tiernan, who was part of Conrad’s Main Street program when it started in 1989, said Grundy Center would be an ideal fit for the program. “I’ve always felt Grundy Center would be a prime candidate for the program,” he said. “You have the core. You have to be committed to it.” Wagler talked of a downtown area being a symbol of a community’s health, including its industrial and commercial development. He said a healthy downtown is an incubator for small businesses and reduces urban sprawl. He also presented before and after photos from several similarsized towns to Grundy Center including State Center and Belle Plaine. The Main Street program does not initially provide money to communities for improvements. Wagler explained that it provides technical assistance and partners with communities in development. It also provides recognition and marketing for communities which can in the long run apply for grant funding. Requirements for the program include a commitment of a partnership for the three-year startup period as well as an adequate local budget and funding for the program. The city would be required to hire a paid director for the program. Wagler said the minimum program budget for a town Grundy Center’s size is $30,000, with the average budget closer to $73,000. On average, the city government provides between 20 and 30 percent of that funding. The next step in the process could be for an interested group of individuals to visit three or four area Main Street communities and talk to them about the process. From there a second town meeting would be held to discuss the findings of those visits and decide whether the community wishes to move forward with the program. The earliest Grundy Center could be accepted into the program would be spring 2015.