Official Paper of Parkersburg, Aplington, New Hartford, Aplington-Parkersburg Schools, and Butler County
e
clipse
NEWS - REVIEW
INSIDE Falcon Homecoming
Briefly. Maple Manor to host breakfast; blood pressure, sugar checks
Members of the 2016 Aplington-Parkersburg High School Homecoming Court included, left to right: Sam Frey, Alex Busma, Kyla Sill, Chase Kling, Queen Natalee Morris, King Trevor Haren, Dani Johnson, Nick Foxen, Emily Klinkenborg and Miles Grandon. (John Jensen/Eclipse News-Review photo)
AP Music Promoters to meet Oct. 17
The AP Music Promoters will hold their fall open meeting on Monday, Oct. 17 following the Fall Preview Vocal Concert. The Concert starts at 7:30. Location of the meeting will be the high school band room. This meeting is open to all parents of music students or anyone in the community interested in the school music program. See you there!
A-P DFS to draw winning quilt raffle ticket Oct. 13 The Aplington-Parkersburg Dollars for Scholar Chapter will draw the winning ticket for the Falcon Quilt made by Sheila Cordes the night of A-P’s home volleyball game against Osage and Janesville, Oct. 13. Raffle tickets can be purchased at various businesses in Aplington and Parkersburg and at home football and volleyball games.
A-P Food Pantry to host open house Saturday The Aplington-Parkersburg Food Pantry will host an open house Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Parkersburg Civic Center. Changes have been made to the program and new coordinators Sandy Cox and Megan Kalkwarf would be interested in hearing your input. Breakfast will be provided and children are welcome. New dates of operation and income guidelines are listed inside today’s paper.
Aplington-Parkersburg seniors perform their skit during the Homecoming Coronation ceremony Thursday at the high school auditorium. (John Jensen/Eclipse News-Review photo)
Presidential candidate Donald Trump made an appearance at Aplington-Parkersburg’s Homecoming Parade, touting the wall he was building to keep South Hardin out of the Falcon end zone. (John Jensen/Eclipse News-Review photo)
More photos Page 2
D.A.R. dedicates grave marker in New Hartford cemetery By JOHN JENSEN Eclipse News-Review NEW HARTFORD — More than eight years after being damaged in the tornado that devastated southern Butler County, one of the oldest graves in New Hartford’s Oak Hill Cemetery has the honor it deserves. Ellie Senne, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) Candle-Stick Chapter based out of Hampton made that so, with her project culminated Friday with the dedication of a repaired headstone marker for the daughter of a Revolutionary War soldier, Susanna Ensign. “As a Daughter of the American Revolution member of this society, we try to honor all our patriots and their families,” Senne said. “Hearing about
this from her great-great-great niece Karen Wilson, I felt I should go to the end of the road to honor this woman who was here and whose family was so much of this community.” Wilson, a member of the D.A.R. Chapter in Cedar Rapids, asked online after the tornado if somebody could check on her Aunt Susan’s headstone. Senne, from Allison, made the short trip to New Hartford to find nothing but devastation. “As I walked into the cemetery I had no idea where to start,” she said to the gathered dignitaries and interested parties. “As Karen only gave a name, I just stood there with tears to see all the broken stones, trees uprooted … but I had said I would check.
See D.A.R. Page 6
Daughters of the American Revolution representatives, including speaker Ellie Senne (left) stand next to Susan Ensign’s marker that was dedicated Friday afternoon in New Hartford’s Oak Hill Cemetery. (John Jensen/ Eclipse News-Review photo)
Wolverines crown Homecoming King and Queen
IWARN to meet October 6 in Grundy Center IWARN (Iowa Wireless Amateur Radio Network) is having their monthly meeting on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m., Grundy County Memorial Hospital Education Room (Use Entrance 3 - west side of Hospital), 201 East J Avenue, Grundy Center, IA 50638. IWARN is a group of Ham Radio operators from all walks of life who reside in Butler, Franklin, Hardin, Grundy, Marshall and Tama Counties.
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
$1
www.parkersburgeclipse.com
Falcon Homecoming 2016
Maple Manor Village Independent and Assisted Living will be having their monthly community breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28. The breakfast is free, so come on down and enjoy breakfast on us! Maple Manor Village will be at Todd’s Neighborhood Grill on Thursday, Sept. 29 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. for blood pressure and blood sugar checks. For coming you will receive free coffee and a sweet treat!
WEDNESDAY September 28, 2016 16 pages 144th Year • No. 39
Nathan Sharp and Olivia Eiklenborg were crowned Dike-New Hartford Homecoming King and Queen during a pep rally at the school Friday afternoon. The crowning capped a week of activities at the school. (John Jensen/ Eclipse News-Review photo)
2015 Dike-New Hartford Homecoming Queen Nicole Roberts crowns 2016 Queen Olivia Eiklenborg at a pep rally at the school Friday afternoon. They are pictured with king candidate Ben Latusek. (John Jensen/Eclipse News-Review photo)
School District financial outlook solid for at least two years By JOHN JENSEN Eclipse News-Review PARKERSBURG — Aplington-Parkersburg School District Superintendent Jon Thompson had good news for the School Board Wednesday as he reported on the district’s financial outlook for this year and beyond. Thompson reported that the numbers look good for at least a couple of years and that cuts like those necessary a year ago look unlikely for the next couple of years. “I don’t think we’ll have to make cuts at all this year,” Thompson said. “And then a year from now we’ll probably want to consider offering early retirement, but I don’t think we’ll have to make cuts then either. We have the district, I hope in pretty good shape for the foreseeable future.” Thompson said the district spent a little less money a year ago than it anticipated and that the cuts approved by the School Board had done what they needed to do. “You’re never 100 percent sure on that, but I sure feel better about it today than I did back in December or January when we were setting it,” he said. “We really ended up better for this year than we thought we were going to be in December when we had to make the cuts,” Board President Kevin Schipper said. “You could argue that we could have cut less.” “I think we made a very good choice on how much we cut because if we could cut less we could potentially be ending next year around zero (unspent balance) again,” Thompson said. “You’d have to do it all over again.” Helping A-P’s budget situation is increasing enrollment. Last year’s certified enrollment climbed nearly 20 to 840.2 students. This year’s numbers are not official until Oct. 1, but Thompson said he expects the climb to be similar … possibly leading to the highest enrollment since he has been working in the School District. “We’re looking at over $100,000 of additional spending authority added to this fiscal year,” he said. “Nothing makes a (School) Board look better than an enrollment gain. It really helps and we’re going to be blessed, I believe here, to have two years in a row where we’ll have close to 20 new students in our district.” This year’s projected spending for the district is $9.25 million with revenue projected at $9.376 million, giving the District a $160,000 cushion. Last year’s revenue was $8.6 million. “That’s a significant jump,” Thompson said of the revenue increase. “We had an enrollment gain, we have allowable growth that the state sends us, they call it supplemental state aid now, that’s 2.25 percent based on our enrollment. TLC fund was nearly $260,000, that’s our teacher leadership program.” Thompson said dropout prevention funds were also up. The District is expecting a 9.6 percent budget carryover, which is near its 10 percent goal. “I always feel good right around that 10 percent carryover,” Thompson said. IN OTHER BUSINESS, the School Board approved a resolution to refinance bonds, saving the district about $46,000 per year. “That money will be available for things like busses and vans,” Thompson said. “It doesn’t really save the taxpayers money, but it allows us to do more with the money that they’re already providing from around the state.”
See Schools Page 3