POSTVILLE
SERVING NORTHEAST IOWA SINCE 1892 LOCAL•2
VOLUME 123, NUMBER 33 | TWO SECTIONS, 14 PAGES
Open house June 28 at Springdale Farm and Gardens featuring the restored Forest Mills School
SOCIETY•3
With the installation of the new roof at the Postville Public Library nearing completion, Librarian Cindy Berns is hoping to raise any additional funds necessary to complete the project between now and July 3. Through diligent perseverance by Berns, the majority of the money necessary for the much needed improvement was raised through grant funding and fund raising. Having secured a raffle license, the library staff is selling tickets for chances to win a plethora of donated prizes. Tickets, selling for $1 each or 6 for $5, are placed in a bag for the prize the entrant wishes
CLASSIFIED•7
SPORTS•9
Raffle drawing being held to help ‘Raise the Roof’ The Postville Public Library is continuing to raise funds for the new roof on their building. Stop in the library to purchase tickets and sign up for the auction items. Single tickets are $1 or you can get six for $5. Anyone buying 24 tickets or more will receive a free library bag. Every dollar counts as this important project is completed.
New roof The new roof on the Postville Public Library is nearing completion.
This log cabin from the 1860’s was also moved from Forest Mills and restored.
early glory. The community is cordially invited to an open house of the school, 1860s log cabin (also moved from Forest Mills and restored), and gardens Sunday, June 28, from 2 until 5 p.m. There is no admission charge, and light refreshments will be served. Springdale Farm and Gardens is located at 462 Forest Mills Road (X16) halfway between Luana and Highway 76.
OPINION•5
Public Library raffle raising funds for roof replacement
1860’s log cabin
Fifty-five years ago, the Forest Mills School closed its door as consolidated schools took over the job of educating area children. Since then, the building has served as a grain barn and machine storage shed, maintaining its usefulness but not its original purpose. After acquiring the school and moving the building south one mile to Springdale Farm and Gardens, Dan White, son of former student Lee White, has restored the school to its
AREA•4
Quilt This hand-made quilt pieced and donated by the West Post Project Club is just one of many prizes being offered at the Postville Public Library Fundrasier.
to be eligible to win. A drawing for each of the prizes will be held Friday, July 3. Among the prizes is a handmade quilt donated by the West Post Project Club and pieced by their member. It was noted that the Club donates to a worthy cause every year and wanted this year’s quilt to go to the library fundraiser. Others donations came from, but are not limited to, Deb Schmitt, Verta Kerr, Barb Friederich, Green’s Sugar Bush, Jody Delaney of the Harpers Ferry library. There literally is something for everyone. A few of the prizes, with every penny raised going to the roof project, include hair care products, original art work, baby blankets, children’s and adult books, maple sugar products, a wine basket, a
crocheted welcome sign, beanie babies. The Postville Library serves hundreds of patrons each week as they check out books, DVD’s and periodicals. The Postville Public Library computers provide a very important aspect of the services offered and many others come in to take advantage of the Wifi services available. Others come to the library to read the area newspapers as well. Much Postville history is also housed in the library. Headstart and elementary students visit the library on a regular basis as they become acquainted with the learning tools available at the facility. Stop in now to purchase raffle tickets. Your odds of winning a coveted prize are good.
Postville Board of Education approves salaries, hires new employees Alumni Banquet to be held this Saturday; SHARON DRAHN HERALD EDITOR
The Postville Board of Education, meeting in regular session Monday, approved several new hires. Susanna Merrifield was hired as an ESL instructor for students in grades 7-12; Karinda Wahls was hired as a kindergarten teacher; Valerie Erickson was hired as the school nurse. Candido Marroquin Montufar was approved to fill the custodial position at an hourly salary of $12.35. Artem Agadzhan was hired for summer employment. His hourly salary was set at $8. per hour.
Instructors hired for the high school summer school program were Meca Loftsgard, Svetlana Vanchugova, Joy Minikwu, Susan Schlein, Kathy Ohloff and Julie Heitland. Guidance department employees Denise Mauss and Mary Jo Moore were granted ten day extensions to their contracts to fulfill scheduling requests, transcript requests, filing of all documents into student files and moving those files to the next year. The master contract with the Postville Education Association was ratified which reflects a 3.88% package increase and a base salary of $29,585. This is a $685 increase from the previous contract.
Dan Bartlein, Bartlein Construction was hired to install walls in the Cora B. Darling Building, replace rest room petitions and refinish wall areas above the high school lockers. The estimated cost is $22,475. The purchase of additional laptops through an agreement with Apple to add the fifth grade to the 1:1 initiative. Supt. Abe Maske noted, “The fifth and sixth grade teachers do an outstanding job at integrating technology in their everyday lessons.” The following salaries, for nonunion employees were set: Noah Schaufenbuel, $5,000 increase to $47,700; bus routes, .50 per trip
increase to $25.50. $26.00 and $26.75; activity trips, .50 per hour increase to $11.; Jennifer Hemesath, .55 per hour to $14.30; Annette Frey, $ 1,000 increase to $37,500; Cynthia Kleve, $1,000 increase to $31,250; Ahmed Salleban Ahmed, .50 per hour increase to $15.50; Blanca Campos Chacon, remain at $35,175; Chad Wahls, $2,000 increase to $84,000; Brendan Knudtson, $2,000 increase to $82,000; Glen Lansing, $1,000 increase to $51,000; Laurie Smith, $1,500 to $34,500; Darlene Bissell, $1,500 to $36,350; Clara Lensing, $1,500 to $72,750; Abraham Maske, $2,500 to $122,500 and Ryan Zurbriggen, $6,000 to $63,000.
City Council appoints Don Miller to fill vacancy; explores grant possibilities with RC & D SHARON DRAHN HERALD EDITOR
The Postville City Council, meeting in regular session Monday, June 8, appointed Don Miller to fill the existing vacancy on the Council. It was noted that Miller was the only applicant for the seat and the vote was unanimous as Council persons submitted written ballots. On review of the ballots Mary Straate, Ross Malcom and Larry Moore voted in favor of the appointment. Council person Mary Engstrom was absent. Miller replaces Robert Fadness who is leaving the area. Lora Friest, longtime employee of RC &D, along with City employee Chris Hackman, explained to the Council grant availability. She noted that since the City of Postville was approved for State Revolving Loan, the grants are
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available with no stipulations and no matching funds are necessary. The City may apply for a water resource restoration sponsored project. These projects may be stipulated for inside or outside the city limits as well as on public or private property. The funds may be used to cover best management practices for non-point source pollution. They must be tied to water quality and watershed. Because the City of Postville is part of the Turkey River Watershed Authority, RC & D will write the grant at no charge. Possible projects discussed include, but are not limited to the Postville School wetland project, improvements to the RC & D property, the fire department lot and the East Greene St. easement waterway. Council persons Moore and Malcom volunteered to be members of a committee to review the projects.
Hackman also updated the Council on the work done by Municipal Pipe and Tool on the Sanitary Sewer system. Due to some ongoing issues, the project will not be closed prior to the end of the fiscal year. Regarding the Wastewater Treatment facility, Hackman explained that the design phase is moving forward. The City will be applying for CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funding for sanitary sewer lining. David VanKampen, newly elected chief operating officer (COO) of AgriStar was present at the Council meeting. He told the group he has been at the facility since Feb. 2 and has been in the industry for 40 years. He noted that the facility is undergoing reorganization to maximize efficiency. They currently slaughter about 300 cattle and 190,000 birds
each week. The currently employ approximately 600 and the 58 % of their production is kosher. Bids from River City Paving for street work and Bacon Concrete for storm intake repairs were approved unanimously. The estimated costs were $149,136.80 and $31,795 respectively. The Head Start lease agreement, which is up for renewal, was discussed. The council voted to increase the monthly rent from $725 to $800 per month. More options will be explored for cleaning at Turner Hall and the bids will be reviewed in July. Mowing options at Postville Childcare were reviewed. It was decided that the City will reimburse the daycare for the cost of having the lawn mowed inside the Center’s fence, Mayor Rekow was given the authority to authorize the payment of budgeted bills scheduled to be paid prior to the end of the fiscal year.
25 and 50 year classes to be honored
The Postville High School Alumni Banquet will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville, Iowa. The speaker for the evening will be Major Kevin Schierholz, son of Dave and Linda (Ewing ‘65) Schierholz. Kevin is stationed in McComb, Michigan and is married to Carolina Cernato (‘90 PHS exchange student from El Savador). They have a daughter, Isabelle. Karla Johnson will share her musical talents with all for the entertainment. The Master of Ceremonies will be Tammy (Schwinefus) Walsh, President of the Class of 1990. Dawn (Hyman) McSweeney will lead the Invocation. The Class of
Berenice Acahva Daughter of Nicolasa Acahva
1990 will present the Harriet E. Mott Award to a 2015 graduated senior and induct the Class of 2015 into the Alumni Association. Introductions of the 25 year class and the 50 year class attendees will also be made during the program. Tickets are available at either Postville bank or they can be ordered by contacting Sharon Dean at 864-7785 by Friday, June 12th. The price of the tickets is $12. Any classes requesting reserved tables at the church need to contact Sharon Dean prior to the banquet. All classes wanting to decorate their tables for the banquet may do so after 10 a.m. on Friday, June 19th and prior to the banquet on the 20th. The public is invited to attend
Berenice Garcia Acahva has three siblings: Alexandra, Brian, and Juan. She does not have any pets of her own, but she does like to visit her cousin’s dog named Cathy. Her favorite thing to do at the playground is play on the monkey bars. At home Berenice likes to help by cleaning the bathroom and putting clothes away.
The annual Little Mr. and Miss Postville contest will be held Friday, June 19, following the Hometown Celebration Parade. All other contestants in the 2015 Little Mr. and Miss Postville can be found in this weeks paper on page one of the B section.