the ogden VOLUME 139
Repor er
Our Town, Make it Yours!
OGDEN, IOWA 50212 - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015
NUMBER 40
SNOW DAY! SNOW DAY! by BECKY BLAIR
REPORTER STAFF WRITER
The students and teachers know the term. Even though it’s a day that will have to be made up, for the moment, it’s like a gift of time. A snow day is a gift that says, “Can’t run any errands. You can’t get out to buy something new, not even food. What’s on the menu for the day is whatever is already in the fridge or freezer. That meeting is now postponed; and even churches are cancelled. It’s a cozy feeling, really. A day to stay in jammies all day, no makeup required, no schedule to meet. The blanket seems almost magnetic, following you around as you make your way through the house. . .at the kitchen table for a cup of hot chocolate. . .to the desk to check the computer for messages. . .and finally to the sofa for that random nap. The only ‘must do things’ are few. Let the dog out and realize that the day is not really a cozy one for him. Shovel the snow in preparation for the day to come, and dream of those friends or family who are at the same moment sitting on a beach somewhere soaking up the sun. All in all, the snowfall is not only amazingly beautiful, it also has a way of making time stand still, if only for a few hours. Now that’s definitely putting a positive spin on the recent snow storm that unloaded eight to 10 inches of snow here Saturday night into Sunday. Winds and blowing snow made driving treacherous and kept many football fans home to watch the big game.
Several drivers around Central Iowa found themselves in this same predicament as they battled snow-covered roads. This car was hung up on a snow drift at the intersection of Hwy. 169 and E-57 westbound late Sunday morning.
2015-2016 Preschool Registration The Ogden Early Learning Center (OELC) preschool is looking forward to its 15th year of serving families in our community. The Ogden Community School District is pleased to have the four-year-old grant. This provides preschool at no cost to children who are four years of age on or before September 15, 2015. To meet our community needs, it has become necessary to add more preschool availability. We will now be offering two half-day sections instead of one full day. This will double our capacity to be able to serve 36 students. Each section will serve up to 18 students. Walk-in registration nights have been scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, February 17 and 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Howe Elementary School. The morning section will meet from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the afternoon section will be from 12 noon. to 3 p.m. Sections will meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Please be prepared to indicate your preference of which section your family would prefer at time of registration. The order in which registrations are received will be a main consideration when determining sections. Please contact the elementary office and ask for Brenda McCloud at 515-275-2795 or brenda.mccloud@ ogden.k12.ia.us if you have questions. Please note if your child is being served with an IEP they will continue with an all day program attending both the morning and afternoon sections.
Tournament time is just around the corner. Good luck to all our Bulldogs. See tournament schedules on pages 8 and 9 of this week’s issue.
2015 confinement site manure applicator workshops scheduled Applicators should contact the Boone County office to register Confinement site manure applicators should plan to attend a two-hour workshop to maintain or renew their confinement site manure applicator certification. The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Boone County ISU Extension and Outreach Office located at 603 Story Street in Boone. Applicators should call the ISU Extension Boone County office, 515-432-3882 for more information. The workshop is offered by Iowa State (ISU) University Extension and Outreach in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Iowa law requires confinement site manure applicators to attend two hours of continuing education each year of their three-year certification period, or take and pass the exam once every three years. If applicators fail to attend the two hours of continuing education each year, they will be required to pass a written exam to be eligible to recertify. Each year nearly 200 confinement site applicators fail to attend training and must pass the remedial exam prior to be eligible to renew their certification for From left, ISU students Rodrigo Medeiros from Brazil; Miles Brainard from Mason City, Iowa; Matthew Brooks from Woodbury, Minnesota; and Aldo Rodriguez of Orange City, Iowa are
APPLICATOR WORKSHOP
taking a close look at Ogden and how it can develop more housing. This is part of a studio project for a class being taught by Ogden City Manager Donovan Olson.
-please turn to page four.
Radon can be a problem in any home, school or building
Youth offering fresh new ideas by KATHY PIERCE
REPORTER STAFF WRITER
City Administrator Donovan Olson accompanied a group of Iowa State students as they toured Ogden and stopped in some of the downtown businesses Wednesday, Jan. 28. They were hoping to gain insight about what could be put in place to benefit growth of the community. This spring semester, Olson is teaching a Community and Regional Planning class. As a studio project his students will be creating a conceptual plan for Ogden that shows how the community could develop housing on land in and near the city to achieve the goal set by Ogden Legacy of building 50 homes in 10 years. Ogden Legacy is a corporation organized for promoting economic, industrial, professional, cultural and civic welfare in the Ogden area. Within the organization, a housing committee was created to address a specific need for expanding housing here. Olson, on behalf of Ogden Legacy, submitted a request to Ogden City Council to approve an applica-
tion for assistance through the Iowa State University PLaCE (Partnering Learning and Community Engagement) Program. As part of the program, Iowa communities, and non profit organizations, were invited to submit applications for project ideas that might help provide quality learning experiences for students and faculty. The goal of the program is to promote the quality and character of Iowa’s landscapes and communities by collaborating with communities to understand, envision and promote a fundamental enhancement of their physical environment. In the application, the committee stated they are working to develop a few empty lots around town, but believe there is a need for new housing in a new development. They recognized there is land available within city limits, but much of it has drainage, easement, topographic and other challenges that have prevented the community from developing the land.
The class will be helping identify
potential building sites for housing and work on a conceptual plan to show how land within and near the City can be utilized. Increased housing in Ogden is just one of the many goals Ogden Legacy has set. Members of the organization feel that more local housing can help retain the existing population by providing newcomers a wider variety of living options. Retirees looking to downsize may be enticed to stay in town if condos were made available. Additional housing, they felt, could also provide current citizens an opportunity to upgrade. As stated on their goal worksheet, “any development is an investment in the community, increasing the tax revenue for local governments and schools.” This is not the only time Ogden has taken advantage of its close proximity to Iowa State University. An earlier downtown revitalization project conducted by ISU graphic designers last fall provided business owners with new updated facade options.
Giving cancer the boot Save the date! The 12th annual Relay for Life evening buffet and fundraiser for the American Cancer Society is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at the Leonard Good Community Center in Ogden. The event will feature a live auction and raffle drawings. If you are interested in sponsoring or decorating a table, please contact Jodi Carson at 275-4259 or Lisa Kieffer at 2754644. If you would like to donate to the auction or raffle, please contact Jodi Carson at 275-4259, Jeni Ross at 275-3008, or Kerry Carson at 275-2266.
Boone County Health and Sanitation is offering a series of radon seminars throughout the county. The first seminar will take place in Boone Monday, Feb. 9 at the Boone County Hospital 4th Floor Conference Room. Leonard Good Community Center in Ogden is the site for the Wednesday, Feb. 18 seminar. Another seminar is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 23 in Madrid. All seminars will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Free radon test kits will be available. Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas released from rock, soil and water and can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings. You cannot see, smell or taste it. Find out how to test your home or building for radon and how to fix a radon problem if detected. For more information, call 4330506 or stop in the Boone County Health and Sanitation office at the Boone County Courthouse, 201 State Street, Boone.