Scouting Salute Pages 6-10
Snow scenes Page 2
UNITED WE STAND
Friday
Feb 6, 2015 OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF HARDIN COUNTY
E L D O R A, I O W A
641-939-5051
V O L U M E 84
www.eldoranewspapers.com
• N O. 8 •
$1.00
E-NP finds state school plan disappointing Budgets promise to be a challenge in schools across Iowa
By Rick Patrie News Editor ELDORA-NEW PROVIDENCE – An Iowa Legislature decision to adopt Gov. Terry Branstad’s recommendation of 1.25 percent allowable growth for 2015-16 will hamstring school finances – not quite as much at E-NP as many other schools – but it will nonetheless effectively shrink resources available when you consider that the cost of
things schools use keep going up, and more than 1.25 percent. So says Jay Mathis, E-NP school superintendent. Mathis said the 1.25 percent, at EldoraNew Providence next year, would be roughly $108,000 in new money. But that evaporates fast, Mathis said, in the face of lots of costs already locked in. They include $149,000 more in salaries and benefits,
alone. That’s not to speak of insurance, costs of technology, right down to maintenance agreements on common copiers, to the cost of building utilities. Mathis said about the only area where (at least for the moment) it appears costs won’t be up are for fuel going into the tanks of the district vehicles. In the end, when the dollars aren’t there, schools invariably have to look at staff reductions. Here it’s been done
Old fashioned blizzard
un-dramatically for several years, by encouraging early retirements among most experience staff. Veteran more-highly-paid teachers step aside for newcomer, lower paid staff. As an inducement retirees have gotten some temporary help on medical insurance while they await Medicare eligibility. They get a standard unused leave payout. Mathis notes that now the state of Iowa, which had once ranked among the highest in dollars
committed to education, ranks 35th among the 50 states. Its $1,600 below the average for states, he said. The 1.25 percent increase in spending allowed is such an important matter because the state actually has final say on so many aspects of a local district’s spending. Localities are strictly restricted in how much they can tap property tax resources to (continued on page 3)
Helping producers tell the story 2015 youth leadership team by Rick Patrie News Editor HUBBARD — A South Hardin High School senior from Hubbard is one of just three young people in the state in line for $4,000 scholarships from the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The awards go to the three individuals named to the producers youth leadership corps for 2015. Emily Cook of Hubbard will be serving as this coming year’s Pork Association princess. She was named as The Iowa Pork Producers Association gathered recently in Des Moines for their annual meeting and congress. Christy Calderwood will serve as Pork Queen this year. Emily Cook is the 2015 Pork Princess and Alex Conover is the new Youth Ambassador. Calderwood, (continued on page 3)
All wasn’t all ugly as the snow piling up downtown in Eldora. In some places winter made for great scenery. But as the other pictures inside show, winter had its roughhouse way last weekend, dumping close to ten inches of snow by varying accounts, sending the mercury down well into the minus digits and just generally clogging up the county with an early blanket of heavy wet snow, then a cover of light blowing snow atop. (See page 2)
Little Rock Ministry Pancake and Omelet Breakfast Feb. 15 The Little Rock Ministry will sponsor a fundraiser pancake and omelet breakfast at Dorothy’s Senior Center in Eldora on Sunday, Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A free-will donation will be taken at the door. Little Rock Ministry is a group of local volunteers who help with year-round activities and provide scholarships to summer camp for the children at Pinecrest Mobile Home Park in Eldora. SHHS Parent/Teachers Conferences Feb. 11 South Hardin High School will conduct parent-teacher conferences at the high school on February 11 from 3:30 – 6:30 pm. PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE. CONFERENCES ARE NO LONGER SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 18. Bodybuilder program at the Eldora Library Feb. 8 Bodybuilder Joy Fisher will present a program at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Eldora Public Library. Area residents may know Joy as the Times Citizen and KIFG advertising representative. In November Joy took part in the Omaha Bluffs Classic, a bodybuilding competition sponsored by the North American
Recalling the Eldora Boy Scouting beginnings
by Rick Patrie News Editor HARDIN COUNTY – Merton Babcock saw his son Duane into the scouting organization, and beNatural Bodybuilding Federation, Anderson Family Dentistry, Brown fore that he had been there at the placing 5th in the Women’s Figure Hurst Insurance or South Hardin beginning of scouting here in HarNovice Short category. In preparing High School. For questions, email: din County. His hand written story for this event Joy needed to deal Andersonfamilydentistry@aol.com. below was furnished by his son for with the challenges presented by her Limited to the first 20 teams to sign this special section recognizing the bone disease and dwarfism. Joy will up. Sponsored by Eldora Kiwanis to contribution of scouting to the area. It tells of a minister who back at share why she wanted to become a fund scholarships. the turn of the century first investibodybuilder, how she trained, and gated the then-new scouting moveHardin County what it was like to compete in Omaha. ment originating in Great Britain, Relay For Life This is an inspiring story not only and he brought the concept over here Committee mtg. Feb. 10 for bodybuilders but for anyone that to Iowa. The story clearly indicates appreciates accounts of individuals There will be a Hardin County that the first scouts here, which inovercoming adversity. Free and open Relay For Life Committee meeting cluded Babcock himself, made the on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 6 p.m. in the to the public. Refreshments. most of the what we know call the Community Room at the Robert W. Iowa River Greenbelt. It is a great Barlow Memorial Library in Iowa Whitten Fire Dept. Annual look back on events in the early Falls. Anyone that would like to Soup Supper Feb. 7 years of the 20th Century, and how The Whitten Fire Department will join the committee or know more the scouting ones and other ones hold their Annual Soup Supper on about Relay For Life is encouraged Saturday, Feb. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. to attend. If you have any questions, combined in a fascinating story. They will be serving chili, oyster please contact Jessica Schipper at and potato soup, dessert and a drink. 319-239-5815. The Boy Scouts Free will donation. Pies and baked and Hardin County goods also available for sale. Material Girls Quilt Club After serving sufficient time Eldora Kiwanis Quiz Bowl Are you interested in meeting with in the U.S. Army as Chaplain Feb. 21 at SHHS other quilters? Would you like to and being discharged from duty, The Eldora Kiwanis will be holding learn how to quilt? Would you like Reverend Leroy Viets applied for a Quiz Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 21 to learn new techniques or get new and was accepted as Pastor of the at the South Hardin High School ideas from area quilters and shops? First Baptist Church of Iowa Falls. Gym from 6 to 8 p.m. Quiz Bowl Meetings will be held at the Eldora While serving as Pastor, Rev. Viets on multiple topics for four-person Library, 7 p.m. the second Monday read of the Boy Scout organization teams. $100 per team. Winning of each month. The program for formed in England by Sir Badenteam gets $500. Community February 9 will center on getting a Powell. Thinking a similar group members are encouraged to cheer quilt ready for your long arm quilter. could be of benefit to the younger on their favorite team! Food and folk in his church, the Rev. Viets sent drinks available for purchase. To Call 939-5051 with all newsbriefs enter your team early, sign up at (continued on page 9)
Newsbriefs
Emily Cook of Hubbard will be serving as this coming year’s Iowa Pork Association princess, one of three $4,000 scholarship winners.