Official Paper of Parkersburg, Aplington, New Hartford, Aplington-Parkersburg Schools, and Butler County
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clipse
NEWS - REVIEW
May to continue track career at UNI INSIDE Falcons host track coed
Briefly. Aplington-Parkersburg youth baseball, softball deadline Friday Aplington-Parkersburg Youth teams are being formed now. The leagues are open to boys and girls in kindergarten through sixth-grade. Register at http://goo. gl/forms/Re3iYXPKLg Call Jackie Klahsen with any questions, 319-415-3578. The registration deadline is Friday, April 22, after which fees go up.
Aplington-Parkersburg Music Promoters to meet April 25 APLINGTON — The Aplington-Parkersburg Music Promoters will have a general membership meeting on Monday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Middle School band room. All are welcome to attend.
Maple Manor Village to host eat and greet, blood drive APLINGTON — Maple Manor Village will host a pair of events next week. On Wednesday, April 27th at 7:30 a.m., there will bea morning eat and greet. The public is invited to join residents for breakfast. On Thursday, April 28th from 2 to 6 p.m., the American Red Cross will be at Maple Manor Village for a blood drive.
By JOHN JENSEN Eclipse News-Review PARKERSBURG — One of the most accomplished runners in Aplington-Parkersburg High School history will continue his running career at The University of Northern Iowa. C.J. May signed his Letter of Intent to compete in track and field at UNI during a ceremony last Wednesday at Aplington-Parkersburg High School. “It was kind of a tough decision,” he said. “I was really looking at Iowa State, too.” May said the deciding factor was what seemed to fit best. “I went on an official visit with Iowa State and hung out with the team there and coaches. Everyone was great, I had a fun time there, (but) I just felt like when I compared that to my visit at UNI it still felt like I was going to fit in better at UNI. That’s what ended up solidifying the decision for me.” May has had a sterling career at A-P, having earned five state meet medals, including second-places in both the Class 2A 1,600- and 3,200-meter events last year. He is currently ranked first in Class 2A in both events. May also qualified for the Drake Relays 3,200 a year ago, placing 12th, and is in position to qualify in both the 1,600 and 3,200 this year. May has also been a standout in cross country, having won the Class 2A state championship earlier this school year. “You talk about athletes like CJ, it’s a pretty dangerous combination with the tools he has to work with,” A-P boys’ track and field coach Mark Haren said. “He’s an extremely intelligent athlete, intelligent runner when he’s competing. He works as hard as anybody on the team to be good, and then you combine that with obviously some
Luhring Nursery open for season PARKERSBURG — The Luhring Nursery Garden Center is open for the season. The nursery is located adjacent to Luhring Monuments.
AP2DC can collection bin has new home PARKERSBURG — The AP2DC can collection bin is up and running again. The new location is at JBL Rentals, directly across from Kwik Star on the west side of JBL’s property. The group would like express a sincere thanks to JBL for allowing the AP2DC students to use the space, and thank the community for their continued support.
Youth Turkey Licenses may be used in any spring turkey season Janice Jacobs, Butler County Recorder, informs citizens that a Youth Turkey License may be used in any other spring turkey season if unfilled during the Youth season dates of April 9 - 17. This corrects information given by the DNR earlier this Spring. Please call the Recorder’s office with any questions. 319-267-2735.
More Briefs on Page 3
In this week’s issue Obituaries ....................page 3 Opinion ........................page 4 Aplington News ..........page 5 Church News...............page 9 Records ..................... page 10 Classifieds.......... pages 14-16 Sports ...................page 17-20
Above, Aplington-Parkersburg senior C.J. May, front center, is flanked by his mother Amy and father Chris at a signing ceremony at the high school Wednesday. Falcon Boys’ Track and Field Coach Mark Haren is pictured behind the Mays. Below, May runs at the Falcon Coed last week. (John Jensen/Eclipse News-Review photos) “Being on the track team at UNI, God-given ability ... he was born with some things you can’t coach. You combine for those three things I think ultimately my goals are to and it makes for a pretty dangerous be a big part of their team, too, like back in high school where I helped athlete.” May has been part of a Falcon contribute to our team’s success,” boys’ track and field team that has May said. “I want to be able to do seen a resurgence in recent years. the same thing at UNI.” May said he plans to study comHaren said there were just 19 boys on the team when he began coach- puter science at UNI with hopes of ing six years ago. This year’s squad a career as an application or software designer. has 59 kids. May is the third A-P senior ath“Really it was kids like CJ, Jason Grill, Alex Johnson, Dillon lete to sign at UNI this spring. Bellows, a few of those kids that Seniors Nick Ellis and Davonius really started to build some excite- Reed signed with the Panthers ment in the program,” Haren said. football team earlier this year. “I just personally want to con“C.J. is a big part of that. We didn’t have any distance runners our first gratulate C.J,” Haren said. “This is couple of years and then with him a big deal; it’s a big deal and it’s coming in; and then the things he’s very well deserved.” done to help build the cross country program as well …” May said he expects to compete in anything between 800- and 3,000-meters at UNI.
School Board to act on 2016-17 budget By JOHN JENSEN Eclipse News-Review PARKERSBURG — The Aplington-Parkersburg School Board Monday was asked to act on a budget that includes a reduction of one section of fifth-grade. Superintendent Jon Thompson said the recommendation, which was debated extensively at the March board meeting, was a way to make changes that had a minimal effect on students while not cutting any jobs. “We always looking at section numbers, enrollment numbers, it’s kind of standard practice” he said. “This year we have sections of 24 and 25 kids in lower elementary grades and having an upper elementary move to 25 kids is not out of the norm.” Thompson said 50 students are anticipated in fifth-grade next year, making the switch possible. He said the change would probably be for only one year, as larger classes follow this year’s fifth-grade
‘We’re often charged with task of doing what’s best for kids. Getting spending to line up with income is what’s best for kids.’ — A-P Superintendent Jon Thompson group. Instead, the section reduction will follow this group of students. “It’s very common once you get past fifth to have classes of more than 25 just because of scheduling,” he said. Thompson said he also hopes to keep a .75 FTE (three-quartertime) Title I teacher at the Aplington Elementary. That will be possible, he said, by combining time with that of a Middle School teacher and lessening their time devoted there. The move must be approved by the School Board.
The remainder of reductions, $155,000 worth, came from attrition. “We’re currently sitting at nice level of savings,” Thompson said. “We’re often charged with task of doing what’s best for kids. Getting spending to line up with income is what’s best for kids. That’s true of kids to kids today and ones that will be here five years from now. This is a help check for us to move forward financially.” A full report on Monday’s meeting will appear in next week’s Eclipse News-Review.
WEDNESDAY April 20, 2016 20 pages 144th Year • No. 16
$1 Lower debt service means lower Aplington tax rate By JOHN JENSEN Eclipse News-Review APLINGTON — After expecting a possibly major tax rate increase, it turns out the the tax rate in Aplington will actually drop slightly. That was the news shared by City Clerk Deb Prier last Wednesday as the Aplington City Council met in regular session. Prier said a reduction in the city’s debt service levy through use of excess TIFF funding will result in a 1.5 percent tax rate decrease from $15.60 per $1,000 valuation in fiscal 2016 to $15.3719 per $1,000 in fiscal 2017. At one point it appeared the city’s tax rate would climb by more than $2, though the city was able to reduce that rate by not levying for insurance. Prier said the city will not be required to republish its budget with the changes because the tax rate went down. Council also heard a report from Pool Manager Samantha Price, who said she has five returning lifeguards this summer and will have four new ones. There was an extensive discussion about the purchase of pool chemicals, and Council decided to fill in the “baby pool” because it cannot be repaired. Public Works Director Blake Hovenga asked about the possibility of removing several dangerous trees, noting several in the city park. Council noted that Mid-American Energy may have a program to replace trees that have been removed. Discussion of the proposed utility rate study and the street sweeping estimate were tabled until the next regular meeting. IN OTHER BUSINESS, Council • Approved the first pay request to the Blazek Corporation for the beginning work at the waste water treatment facility; • Approved a contract for mosquito spraying to Mosquito Control of Bode; • Approved a mower trade from Phelps Implement of Greene for a JD Ztrak mower for the cemetery; The next regular meeting of the Council will be held on May 11 beginning at 5 p.m., which is one hour earlier than the usual meeting time.
AP Middle Schoolers to host ‘Poetry Night’ By JOHN JENSEN Eclipse News-Review APLINGTON — Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School teachers Kasey Sents and Koby Capper were looking for a way to excite their students about poetry. Their answer? Bring students’ poems to life as they share them with family, friends and the community. “We just thought, ‘Parents get to go watch you play sports, they get to see you sing in chorus, play in band, why aren’t you showing your skills in writing?” Capper said. “So we wanted to make it a bigger stage than the classroom.” Students in grades 6 through 8 will share their work May 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. in what Sents and Capper are calling a Poetry Café Night. “We’re really focusing on that cafe-like feel so their could possibly be some things like cookies and popcorn, juice, that kind of thing, just to bring in that kind of relaxed kind of experience,” Capper said. Students will read poems that they wrote in class. Capper said a focus in class right now is poetry, which is part of standards that are part of the Iowa Core. April is also National Poetry Month. She said students have been studying figurative language throughout April and that poetry is a part of that. Students were expected to begin writing their poems late last week or early this week. Teachers came up with the idea of the public performance while looking for ideas online. They said Dike-New Hartford had done something similar, though it was within the structure of the classroom. Visitors to the event, which is open to the public, will be greeting by a showing of student artwork as well as music performed by Middle School volunteers. The café will feature tables draped in tablecloths and possibly candlelight. Sessions will be 30 minutes in length so that no individual has to stay throughout the three-hour time period. “We would like this to be an annual event, so we’re hoping it’s successful,” Capper said.