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3 MEDALISTS:
• Holiday Farmers Market Bazaar
The Holiday Farmers Market Bazaar is planned 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Church.
Clarke puts three on podium at Coach Riley Invitational page 6
www.osceolaiowa.com
155 YEARS • NO. 49
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Lane change Alley Bowl to get new, synthetic lanes for better bowling game By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
Stttttrrrrike!! The Alley Bowl in Osceola is making some important changes to create a better bowling experience for its patrons. The Alley Bowl will be getting new, synthetic lanes, which is a thicker wood with a synthetic overlay. “It’s basically what all the big Des Moines houses have, and all of the pro houses, like you see on TV, that’s what they have for lanes,” said manager Jeff Giza. The Alley Bowl has a lane machine — the Brunswick Authority 22 — that puts down the oil to help keep the
lanes in top condition. It will allow them to lay a cleaner oil pattern for the bowlers, which allows for much higher scoring. “We’ll have actually what they have out on pro tour. So, we’ll have, basically, the best of the best, as far as lane and oil machine,” Giza said. The new machine will help the Alley’s Bowl’s eight lanes be in top condition. “The sky’s the limit for what these will help us with,” Giza said. Construction was scheduled to start on the lanes Dec. 14, and it will take approximately five days for completion. Please see ALLEY BOWL, Page 4
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Michelle Lee, a Clarke Community Middle School CORE teacher, receives the WHO-TV 13 and Nationwide Insurance Golden Apple award Tuesday, Dec. 1, in Clarke’s auditorium. Lee is pictured with the students who nominated her. From left, are Dakota Stanley, Lee, Kyra Walters and Bailey Smith.
Good as gold Clarke teacher receives prestigious Golden Apple award in surprise ceremony By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
This is the Brunswick Authority 22 machine, which will help keep the lanes at the Alley Bowl in good condition.
Michelle Lee wasn’t feeling well that Tuesday morning. As a Clarke Community Middle School CORE teacher, she didn’t know if she would be able to get through the school day. Fortunately for Lee, her luck was about to turn right around. During a surprise ceremony, Lee received the Golden Apple award from WHO-TV 13 and Nationwide Insurance in Clarke’s auditorium. “This is totally unexpected, because I’m going home because I’m sick today. Thank you for this honor. I don’t even know what to say. It’s … thank you. I don’t know what else to say,” Lee said upon receiving the award. Lee was visibly choked up, emotional and, most likely, in a state of shock
during her speech. “You guys are all so special to me and, sometimes, you just don’t think you make a difference, and this just means the world to me. So, thank you, all of you. I love you all,” she said. Golden Apple WHO-TV 13 and Nationwide’s Golden Apple award is a special recognition given to one teacher each month during the school year. It was a recognition program started 22 years ago. Throughout the school year, students in the news station’s coverage area write letters and emails to the station stating why their favorite teacher is so special. Thousands of letters are received each year and each one is read and judged by officials from WHO-TV 13 and Nationwide. Each month, judges pick a winning letter, contact the school’s principal and arrange for an assembly where the
chosen teacher is surprised with the award. The assembly is broadcast on the news by WHO-TV 13. Sometimes a teacher will receive two or three nominations from different students, but Lee actually broke a record at WHO-TV 13 with 68 nominations. ‘Doing something right’ Tom Robson, account executive at WHO-TV 13, said seven days a week, the station’s photographers and reporters venture out throughout central Iowa to cover stories to inform and educate the public. “As often as we can, we try to do good stories, where something or someone is really doing something right. And, right here, today, we have one,” he said. Please see GOLDEN APPLE, Page 4
Fourth of July committee in need of funding, makes request to city council By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
The Fourth of July holiday is more than a half a year away, but work on the event is already underfoot. However, putting on a good event takes money, something Osceola’s Fourth of July committee is in need of right now. During a Dec. 1 meeting, Osceola City Council discussed a request for financial assistance for the Fourth of July committee. “As most of you know, the costs are increasing and the donations are staying the same or even lowering because our businesses give SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Copyright 2015
and give and give,” said committee member Bobbie Cook. “We’re here asking for the city’s help. We have one of the best celebrations in southern Iowa, and in order to keep it listed as the best celebration, I’d ask for the city to help us do that, if at all possible.” The 2016 Fourth of July event in Osceola is planned July 1-4. The committee is working on the theme and costs of bands and musical entertainment. Cook said the committee’s budget has started with $7,000 in their bank account, and in previous years, they’ve started with somewhere between $15,000 and $17,000. This means they are starting out
already behind. Last year, the committee spent $19,000 on entertainment alone. Cook said the bands are getting more expensive. The sound system alone for the event last year was $3,000. “You have to pay for good entertainment,” Cook said. However, Cook said people will see a lot of changes in the coming year’s celebration, but the committee will still maintain the same quality of entertainment. Coming from where? Council members discussed ideas of the city contributing funds to the committee on a match basis. Financial assistance would come from the city’s hotel/motel tax rev-
Index Church Directory .........8 Classifieds ........... 10-11 Editorial ........................4 Obituary .......................3
Public Notices ....... 9-10 Record .........................2 Sports....................... 6-7
“I actually think that the Fourth of July parade and activities have been so much a part of the community that I can’t see going without them.” — Dr. George Fotiadis
Osceola City Council
enue, which is stipulated for culture and recreational events such as the Fourth of July celebration. It could be worked into the next fiscal year 2017 budget, which starts July 1. “I actually think that the Fourth of July parade and activities have been so much a part of the com-
Weather Local 3-Day Forecast Thu
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57/41 Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 50s and lows in the low 40s. Sunrise: 7:28 AM
54/42 Considerable cloudiness. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the low 40s. Sunrise: 7:29 AM
47/34 A few morning showers. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the mid 30s.
munity that I can’t see going without them,” said Councilman Dr. George Fotiadis. Clarke County Development Corporation, another public entity, gives the Fourth of July committee
Don’t Forget
A Texas Hold ‘Em tournament is planned Saturday at Osceola Eagles Lodge with sign-in at noon and playing starting at 1:30 p.m.
Sunrise: 7:30 AM
CHECK OUT OSCEOLAIOWA.COM FOR DAILY UPDATED NEWS, DEATH NOTICES AND SPORTS. Iowa at a Glance Sunset: 4:46 PM
Sunset: 4:46 PM
Sunset: 4:46 PM
Please see FOURTH OF JULY, Page 4