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VOLUME 137, NUMBER 21
Local News, Page 3
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A freshly-graduated Peter Bollhagen Àips the tassel on his mortar board after receiving his diploma. NICK PEDLEY/HAMPTON CHRONICLE
farewell Hampton-Dumont bids
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BY TRAVIS FISCHER A new generation of CAL graduates entered the world on Sunday as the fourteen members of the Class of 2014 received their diplomas. “Today is an important milestone for our graduates,” said Principal Scott Striegel. “It·s a time to rejoice and a time to enjoy a job well done.” CAL·s most exceptional students were honored at the commencement program. Jenna Johnson, Karter Miller, and Amber Zewert were recognized as members of the National Honor Society. Zewert was also recognized with the American Citizenship Award and an Honors Diploma. After a vocal rendition of “Hakuna Matata” dedicated to their parents, Jacob Blau, Robert Pals, Austin Blayer, Andrew Quinones, Juan Calles, Taylor Rapp, Alicia Cano, Hunter Schleisman, Andy Castillo, Myranda Wester, Jenna Johnson, Mario Yanez, Karter Miller, and Amber Zewert each took to the stage to receive their high school diplomas, presented by Board of Education President Steve Muhlenbruch and Superintendent Dwight Widen. Before receiving their diplomas, the Class of 2014 received some last words of wisdom from their former middle school teacher, Brian Folkerts. “CAL has prepared you, like it or not, to succeed in the world,” said Folkerts. “The rest is up to you. ... It·s time to be the men and women your parents, friends, and even teachers know you can be.” See more photos CAL GRADUATION: Page 2
to 76 seniors
BY NICK PEDLEY The Hampton-Dumont Class of 2014 gathered together for one Ànal goodbye Sunday afternoon during commencement exercises inside the high school gymnasium. Seventy-six seniors said goodbye to H-D during the ceremony, which featured music, speeches and other special academic recognitions. Sunday·s ceremony opened with a welcoming address from H-D senior Blake Brown, who was one of four valedictorian students from the Class of 2014. Brown·s speech recounted some of the many memories the graduating seniors shared over the years in addition to offering a few thank-yous for those that helped them along the way. “In the years to come, we will look back fondly at the experiences we had, the friends we·ve made, and the mistakes we·ve learned from,” he said. “And we·ll remember the loving community of educators here at H-D. They were the ones that taught us the skills to succeed in the future, whether it be at work or at college.” Brown·s remarks were followed by an address from guest
speaker Dan Aalbers. Aalbers, who teaches high school math and coaches at H-D, offered a bit of advice to seniors before they headed out into the real world. “You·ll Ànd that it·s easy to have excuses and say I can·t, I don·t know how, or I won·t when you·re confronted with something challenging,” he said. “But that·s not what Hampton-Dumont Schools are about. That·s not what your teachers, coaches, and instructors taught you for the past 12 years.” Aalbers didn·t sugar coat his message. He wanted the Class of 2014 to know that it·s OK to fail, and that learning from those mistakes is key towards future success in whatever they choose to do in their lives. “I don·t know if everything·s going to go right. But I do know that if you never think it, it will never happen,” he said. “The truth is this, graduates: Life seldom goes right all the time. It can be down right difÀcult – sometimes because of the choices we make, sometime because of the choices around us, and sometimes it·s beyond our control.” See more photos H-D GRADUATION: Page 2
Hampton native interns with Scottish Parliament this winter
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OFFICE HOURS Hampton native Carter Collins, right, spent 10 weeks in Scotland this winter interning with the Scottish Parliament in the Of¿ce of the Minister of Public Health. Pictured to left is Carter’s brother, Chase, who visited him during his stay in Scotland. PHOTO COURTESY OF CARTER COLLINS
BY NICK PEDLEY While most Iowans were spending their winter dreaming of warmer days, one Hampton native was enjoying a more temperate climate 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Carter Collins, 21, spent January through May interning with the Scottish Parliament this year. The 2011 Hampton-Dumont graduate worked side-byside with lawmakers in the capitol city of Edinburgh, where most of his duties included ofÀce work for the Scottish Minister of Public Health. Collins, a double-major in political science and journalism and mass communication, will be a senior at Iowa State University next fall. “I had never been there before, and it was actually my Àrst trip abroad in my life,” he said. “Scotland is a very friendly country with very down-to-earth people. They really love to show off their culture.” Collins· three and a half-month visit was made possible by ISU·s Scottish Parliament Internship Program. He left the
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CAL graduates Class of 2014
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- Brian Folkerts
Hampton·s American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts are looking for volunteers to help put up the avenue of Áags for Memorial Day, at the Hampton Cemetery. Those interested should meet at the cemetery at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 23. The Áags will come down at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27.
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 9 2nd Ave NW Hampton, Iowa 50441
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“It·s time to be the men and women your parents, friends and even teachers know you can be.”
Legion and VFW seek volunteers for help with avenue of Áags
BY NICK PEDLEY Procrastinators be warned: City ofÀcials will begin enforcing Hampton·s six-inch rule for grass and weeds on Monday, May 26. Early enforcement was delayed due to persistent rainfall this month. Precipitation fell almost every other day, which saturated the ground and made spring yard work extremely difÀcult throughout Hampton. “Obviously, we·re going to be reasonable with that,” said Hampton Public Works Director Doug Tarr. “We·re typically pretty reasonable when it comes to bad weather.” City ordinance strictly forbids grass or weeds higher than six inches in Hampton. Upkeep is required for occupied or vacant residences and businesses, as well as grassy areas of empty lots and public right-ofways adjacent to privately-owned real estate within city limits. If a property owner is in violation, they will be served a Àveday notice to come into compliance with the six-inch rule. The city will mow the property at a cost to the owner if nothing is done within that Àve-day timeframe. Mowing fees start at $30 and increase if the lot is larger. “For folks that continue to be in violation, we·re going to be enforcing that,” Tarr said. Repeat nuisance offenders have become the pebble in the Hampton City Council·s shoe lately. The council has been debating ways to crackdown on owners who continually fail to maintain their properties, but answers have been few and far between.
WEDNESDAY
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Graduate Jenna Johnson hugs CAL’s School Board President Steve Muhlenbruch. PHOTO BY TRAVIS FISCHER
Hampton wastewater plant stays on track after council raises sewer rates BY NICK PEDLEY Sewage rates will see incremental increases over the next Àve years to cover added expenses for the construction of Hampton·s new wastewater treatment plant. The Hampton City Council approved the Àrst reading of an ordinance amendment at a special meeting Thursday that will increase sewage rates from 2015 through 2019. Construction bids for the new wastewater facility came in came $1.547 million higher than the council had orginally anticipated, which forced the rate hikes. The project has been in development since 2009 and would have been put on hold had the sewage rates not been increased and extended. “If the council approves the amendment at all three readings, you could see some construction starting within the next two months if the contractor chooses to,” Hampton City Manager Ron Dunt said after the meeting. City sewage rates were already set to rise 7.5 percent on July 1, 2014. The council had been gradually increasing rates over the past few years to build up cash for the the new wastewater plant and to pay back bonds for its construction. The $8.4 million facility is being Ànanced through city cash reserves,
loans and bonds. However, those incremental sewage hikes were set to taper off with 3 percent increases in 2015 and 2016. No rate increases were scheduled for 2017, but the added construction costs quashed those plans. Additionally, an unexpected decrease in city-wide water consumption slowed revenue streams for the project. City residents purchased 123,000,000 gallons of water annually when ofÀcials began planning for the new wastewater plant, but dropped by more than 10,000,000 gallons in recent years. Financial consultant Jon Burmeister explained to the council how each factor fed the need to increase rates. “So what·s that·s doing is as you·ve raised rates, usage has come down. Because if we·re not selling the same amount of water as when we raised rates, the revenue will be very Áat,” he said. “What I equate that to is running up a downhill-moving escalator. You have to move faster or you·re going to end up at the bottom of the hill.” To address Ànancing issues and keep the wastewater project on track, Burmeister suggested the city extend scheduled sewage rate
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