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WEDNESDAY October 1, 2014
Your Hometown Paper Serving Beaman, Conrad, Liscomb, Union & Whitten
WWW.CONRADRECORD.COM
CONRAD, IOWA 50621 - U.S.P.S. 129-760
VOLUME 133 NUMBER 20
Supervisors discuss possible new site for annex building
By JOHN JENSEN Mid-America Publishing GRUNDY CENTER — The location for a possible new Grundy County annex building took another turn Monday as the Board of Supervisors discussed an offer from Bob Cox to sell the county his property, which is located directly west of the current building on H Avenue. After abandoning their attempt to buy the property located east of the current annex, Supervisors held discussion about building on the property currently used as a parking lot for the Sheriff’s Department which is located directly south of the Sheriff’s office at the corner of H Avenue and Eighth Street. The offer from Cox provides another alternative. Board Chair Harlyn Riekena asked for input from the Board about which site they preferred, and opinions were mixed. Mark Schildroth said he would prefer the plan to build south of the Sheriff’s Department while Barb Smith said she preferred the Cox property simply because it could cost more to build on the Sherrff’s lot (which is smaller than the Cox lot) because of the cost of an elevator, which would be needed if the building were built there. Chuck Bakker echoed that the Cox lot should at least be considered because of the cost issue as well as the convenience of a one-story building. Riekena said he has heard from several Grundy Center residents who like the idea of building the structure on the Cox property, with Smith noting that she has heard the same. Supervisor Jim Ross asked if neighbors around the property have been asked
if they have any objections. One issue with putting the annex building on the Cox lot could be zoning. Smith said that property is likely zoned for a residential structure while a public-use building would require different zoning. “Would you like me to talk to the Grundy Center mayor about that?” Smith asked. Riekena told Smith she was welcome to ask Mayor Brian Buhrow about the zoning, though to do it on her own and not as a Board of Supervisors ambassador. Riekena added that he would like to see what architects come up with for a twostory annex building on the Sheriff’s Department lot before making a decision. Supervisors also continued their recent discussion of whether to create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District at the Wellsburg Wind Farm, which is currently under construction. AGWSR School District Superintendent Marty Jimmerson was on hand to discuss the school’s position on the TIF District, noting that creating one will lower the tax rate, while Dike resident Wayne Paige discussed his opposition to TIF, noting that he does not feel it works and that it is not a good use of taxpayer money. Paige asked what would happen if the income generated by the wind turbines would go away during the life of TIF, with Riekena noting that the Supervisors would be forced to raise taxes to make up for the shortfall. “That is highly unlikely to happen,” Riekena said. “The only way
(taxes) would not come in from the wind farm would be if they tore it down and it ceased operation.” Smith added that wind farm owner Mid-American Energy is a strong company while Bakker added that the county has only proposed capturing a small percentage of what would be available to it. Ross, who has opposed creating the TIF district since it was proposed, noted that it was originally intended for areas that were blighted but has since become an economic development tool. “I still feel we should take the money as it comes in rather than mortgaging our future,” he said. Riekena asked Auditor Rhonda Deters to put the TIF discussion on the agenda for the next meeting. The Board must make a decision by the time the wind farm is completed, which is scheduled to be Nov. 12. IN OTHER BUSINESS, the Board: • Approved utility permits from Interstate Power Company and Windstream; • Accepted annual reports from Fairfield and Black Hawk Townships; • Accepted the resignation, as of the first of the year, of Fairfield Township Trustee Terry Stupenberg; • Approved a liquor license for The Old 56 Dairy (located just west of Grundy Center); • Approved a request from the Grundy Center Chamber of Commerce to use the Courthouse grounds Oct. 15-17 for Girls’ Night Out.
BCLUW Homecoming royalty
Becca Steckelberg (left) and Walker Gall (right) were crowned the BCLUW Homecoming queen and king at last Thursday’s coronation ceremony in the high school gym. View more photos from Homecoming week inside of this week’s Record. (Rob Maharry/The Record photo)
The robots are coming to new club at BCLUW By Rob Maharry The Record CONRAD- Over the last few years, the BCLUW school district, and more specifically Superintendent Ben Petty, has made Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) a top priority for students hoping to succeed in an ever-evolving and highly competitive job market. Now, under the direction of first year at-risk aide and STEM coach Dustin Hammers, high school students will have a new opportunity to hone these skills thanks to the creation of the STEM Robotics Club. Members of the club will meet several times in the coming months and eventually build their own metal robots (which must fit into an 18 inch by 18 inch cube) to compete
at a First Tech Challenge (FTC) competition in hopes of advancing to the FTC-Iowa Championship in late February. In some ways, it can be considered an extension of the ACES program at the middle school, in which students build smaller robots out of Legos and test them at local and regional competitions. Of the 12 students who are currently registered, most come to the club without prior experience in robotics except for three who did participate in the middle school ACES program. Hammers, who is also relatively new to the field, is looking forward to the opportunity to learn right along with them. “The whole idea of putting a robot together still seems kind of sci-fi, fantasy, but to actually be able to see
it come together in the classroom I think is going to be really neat,” he said. “In being not the person doing it but kind of a facilitator, it gives me the ability to step back, look to see what they’re doing and provide them with any help that they would need.” Students will be expected to follow a five-step process in building and improving their projects: asking what the problem is, brainstorming ideas to solve the problem, planning and diagramming, putting a plan into action and making further improvements. This year’s theme for the FTC competition is “Cascade Effect,” and the challenge differs each year. Robotics ...continued on page 2
The site of the Record’s new office, located at 108 North Main Street between Stolzman Photography and the Conrad Public Library. (Rob Maharry/The Record photo)
The Record moves to new office location By ROB MAHARRY The Record CONRAD- Your hometown paper serving Beaman, Conrad, Liscomb, Union and Whitten has a new home: the office of The Record has moved to 108 North Main Street in Conrad. Those looking for the office won’t have to look far: the new building, which is situated between
Stolzman Photography and the Conrad Public Library, is just two doors down from the previous location at 104 North Main Street. Regional Publisher Clint Poock is excited about the new office building and the opportunity for The Record to maintain a strong presence in the revitalized downtown Conrad area. “We would like to thank the
The Record’s Index Church..............5 Classifieds........6 Legals...............2
Movies.............3 Obituaries........5 Opinion............4
local business community for their support and help as we looked for a location for The Record,” Poock said. “We have a great new location and are super pleased that we were able to stay on Main Street.” The office will still be open from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Monday through Friday, and all of The Record’s services will be available at the new location.
Members of the BCLUW STEM Robotics Club, donning their Homecoming week attire. First row (left to right): Lexi Manship and Vanessa Drummer. Second row: Alec Geisking, Gabby Liesener, Keegan Rhinehart, Ethan Hoveland and DJ Crompton. Third row: Grant Baker, Ted Switzer, Gage Petty, Brad Barkema and Michael Engle. Not pictured: Austin Willett.
Comet sports Check out the highlights from last week sports, page 10.
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