Fremont Elementary attendees from their early days, gathered for one final picture (l-r): Victor Weiland, Nate McGinnis, Sylina Busch, Jayce Riley, Josh Johnson, Lucas Welch, Katelyn Herr and Amber Davis, (not pictured - Aurora West). MORE GRADUATION PHOTOS INSIDE
Volume 12, Number 22
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Thursday, May 28, 2015
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nssun@iowatelecom.net
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NM Board Discusses Remodeling By R.D. KEEP North Mahaska school’s board of directors met May 18 and approved volunteer coaches, set fees for the 2015-16 year and discussed an office remodel. The office remodel brought about lengthy discussion. Much of the discussion centered on what all needed remodeled.
Originally the concept was to refit the office and make it more functional and easy to use for patrons. As the discussion progressed the need to work on the entryway to make a smoother transition to the auditorium was mentioned. Sheryl Strobel said she had heard from parents that dollar should be
spent on students more than the office. She mentioned the science rooms in particular, which have been on the discussion table for some time. Tina Layman said she would like to see the office, public restrooms, the cabinets in the cafeteria looked at to enable better traffic flow.
Two different motions were made but died due to lack of a second. A third motion proposed by Dan Gruber made it through the vote 3-1. He proposed to obtain an architcht to look at structure issues throughout the building and then get a plan to vote on. Strobel was opposed to the plan. Layman and Gruber voted for
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it as did board president Dirk Wilkin. Board member Ryan Augustine was not at the meeting. The board approved volunteer coaches for three sports. Levi Ferguson an Mark Roose will coach baseball, Mark McCulley and
Please see NM Board Page 2
NS Councilors approve offer to sell North Elm property By R.D. KEEP \New Sharon City Councilors moved through a number of action items at their regular meeting May 20. Among the action items was continued discussion of the North Elm Street property and hiring of a new maintenance/wastewater superintendent. Previously the council had accepted a bid from Gene Fox for $3,750 to demolish the house and clean up the property at 501 North Elm St. The city received inquiry from Terry Anderson regarding a desire to purchase the property and rehab the house. Councilor Larry Appleget reminded the others that there is no sewer, it is on a rock street and in
Please see North Elm Property Page 2
Moffit Honored at Retirement Gathering
Patrons wished retiring NM superintendent Randy Moffit good-bye at a reception May 20.
After 38 years in education, Moffit and his wife Pam will begin a new chapter in their lives.
Recreation, Early New Sharon Childhood Education to host Study Findings Revealed Community What’s the future of indoor recreation and childcare in Blood Drive Oskaloosa and the Mahaska community? Wednesday, June 3
Public meetings being held Thursday, May 28, at 11:30 and 6 pm, in Penn Central Mall (across from Label Shopper) will begin to unveil answers to that question. In February, the Mahaska Community Development Group and Mahaska YMCA launched a study to determine what indoor recreation and early childhood education facilities and programs need to be in place to serve the community. Matt Coen of Walker-Coen-Lorentzen Architects, who led the study, will present preliminary results of the community input process at the public meetings. Coen, a native of Oskaloosa, will also present possible scenarios for providing indoor recreation and early childhood services. “We are very excited to hear what residents had to say about indoor recreation and early childhood programming,” said Andrew Jensen, MCDG Director.
“The first step in the process was to gather input from the community to understand what recreation and early childhood services they desire,” said MCDG Director Andrew Jensen. Over 700 individuals from the area participated in an online survey, and many other residents participated in a series of public input meetings. The planning team has also met with other stakeholder organizations including the schools, William Penn University and the Mahaska Recreation Foundation to talk the project. “Indoor recreation and early childhood education & daycare services affect nearly every member of our community,” said Andrew Jensen, MCDG Executive Director. “The study will help us understand if the
NEW SHARON – New Sharon will host a community blood drive from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3 at 100 W. Market, inside McVay Family Center. The New Sharon Community Blood Drive is sponsored by United Methodist Church To donate, please contact Carol Renaud at 641-660-0069 or visit www.bloodcenterimpact.org and use code 5059 to locate the drive. Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. or MVRBC Donor Card is required to donate. For questions about eligibility, please call the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center at (800) 747-5401. Donors who last gave blood on or before April 8, 2015 are eligible to give at this drive. Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45
Please see Education Study Page 2
Please see Blood Drive Page 2
“We are relying on input from the community to help determine where investments are needed, either in the form of renovation or new construction.”
Please see Moffit Honored Page 2
North Mahaska Band Director Bruce Peiffer and Class 1A/2A All-State Jazz Band saxophonist Melissa Knoot after the May 14 performance in Des Moines
NM Jazz all-state
North Mahaska junior and NM Jazz alto saxophonist Melissa Knoot performed with the Class 1A/2A AllState Jazz Band at the Des Moines Downtown Marriott on Thursday, May 14.
The band met for the first time at Johnston High School one day before the performance. After two days
Please see NM Jazz Page 2
INDEX
Community News Pg. 3
Community News Pg. 4
Opinion Pg. 5
Sports Pg. 7
Local News Pg. 2
Church Pg. 4
Letter to the Editor Pg. 4
Classified Ads Pg. 6
Sports Pg. 8
This Week’s Color In The Sun Is Brought To You By
641-637-4031
Slumberland Furniture in Oskaloosa
‘Journey On!’ at the Summer Theatre Camp! OSKALOOSA — Add adventure to your summer with the Daily Youth Theatre’s Summer Theatre Camp! Explore space, duke it out as pirates or ninjas, attend Hogwarts, sing, dance, and most of all, act! Camp starts on June 8 with “Alien Invasion” for grades K-5 and the Doctor Who inspired “TARIDS” for grades 6-12. Camp usually runs from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. unless otherwise noted, with programming available for kindergarten through high school. At the end of each session, campers will showcase what they learned and created throughout the week for family and friends. “There’s some exciting new things this year,” said Andy McGuire, Education Director. “We’re partnering with the Oskaloosa Free Lunch program to provide free, healthy lunches and afternoon snacks to all our campers.” Camp may end at 3 p.m., but that doesn’t mean work does. For families who need extra time for pick-up, there’s now the Camp Out program that allows campers to stay as late as 5 p.m. for $5/hr. The summer is packed with themed camps so campers can go as many weeks as they like and have a different experience each
Please see Summer Theater Camp Page 2
The Boys In The Boat The New Sharon Public Library book club discussed The Boys In The Boat in May. This true account of the arduous path to the 1936 Olympics was full of historically accurate insights into the rise of Hitler’s Germany. The young men on the U.S. rowing team showed amazing tenacity in their pursuit of a win in Berlin. Lila by Marilynne Robinson will be the book for June. Amazon.com says: “Marilynne Robinson, one of the greatest novelists of our time, returns to the town of Gilead in an unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society in fear, awe, and wonder. Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church-the only available shelter from the rain-and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her newfound security. Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to
Please see New Sharon Library Page 3