Just when you thought it was safe to venture out of your homes, the Rambler returns!
Thanks to the generosity and confidence of the Belle Plaine Community Development Corp. (BPCDC) Board, I have been given new life on the local news front. We will soon be entering the second month of what I still call this “grand experiment” and I hope you enjoy what you are reading.
In the past several years, this country has been making a shift in its habit of receiving news from the words printed on a newspaper to the electronic media. Meanwhile, the costs of producing a newsprint product have continued to increase. Members of the BPCDC recognize that the next couple of years should be very exciting in Belle Plaine and this should be a time for increased emphasis on local news. They also realized that the cost of producing a new newsprint weekly newspaper would be beyond the reach of most. Hence, this all-electronic version was born.
First off, a note of clarification: This local news site is a publication of the Belle Plaine Community Development Corp., a non-profit corporation. It is not funded by nor directly affiliated with the City of Belle Plaine. We fully expect to cover the city council, as well as other important news events in the city, but city officials will have no say in what appears on this site.
As times goes by and I become more familiar with the complicated exercise of web page design and update, we will offer coverage of the above mentioned Belle Plaine City Council, board of education, other school activities, community development updates, social news, meeting notices and the dozens of other things that people care about in our community. We hope to offer more immediate daily coverage, not possible through any newsprint publication. We will soon also offer you a chance to support this effort through your classified or display advertising.
And yes, from time to time, the Rambler, who was silenced at the end of 2008, will emerge with comments on local and/or national issues. After my last day at my previous position and the start of this one, I had several months to think. I had opinions on several things I observed with no outlet to express them! My family and friends can only stand so much of my ranting!
Much of the information on the start of this publication so far has been through word of mouth. I share office space in what I fondly call “the fish bowl” with Jon Dayton at 826 12th Street and I see at least dozens, if not hundreds, of people walking by each day. Some of them stop in and we tell them why I’m here.
Today, a billboard went up with “BellePlaineNow.com” prominently displayed. It is located on Seventh Avenue near the railroad tracks where southbound travelers can see it. Check it out sometime.
So the first hurdle has been cleared. You found out web site. Now I am going to ask you for some help. If you like what you have read, please tell a friend…tell several friends. If you have some suggestions on how it can be improved, tell us. If you have a news tip, tell us. Our e-mail address is: belleplainenow@iowatelecom.net and the phone number is 444-2700.
Above all, please be patient. For nearly 35 years, I have generated and helped produce community news in one form and suddenly I have the opportunity to produce it in a new and exciting format. The next few months promise to be very exciting for this community and for your humble servant, the (formerly) ink-stained guy called “the Rambler.”

Contract approvals, adoption of the school calendar for the upcoming year and approval of the plans and specifications for new additions to two buildings were highlights of Wednesday’s Belle Plaine Board of Education meeting.
The board approved a one-year agreement with the Belle Plaine Education Association which calls for a total package increase of 3.48 percent for its teachers. Next year’s base salary will be $27,400, a $600 increase. There were several other changes in contract language in personal, emergency and disability leave, health insurance, etc.
A two-year contract was approved with the Teamsters union for support staff. It calls for three percent salary increases in each year of the agreement. There were also changes in other language in the contract regarding insurance, accumulated vacation time and overtime. Food service employees will also receive the three percent increase.
Contracts were also approved for principal Dennis Phelps, transportation director Jan Kaplan, maintenance director Rod Blount and activities director Greg Walton. Each will receive the same 3.48 percent package increase the teachers will receive. The contract for Phelps is a two-year agreement, while the others will be for one year.
The board approved a similar increase for superintendent’s secretary Stacey Tomlin. In addition, the board approved a $500 per month stipend for her duties as board secretary. Board President Joyce Livermore said this was an opportunity to address a past deficiency. Tomlin has acted as board secretary for several years.
The board also delayed action on a contract for Cherie Brown, the building head. She and Superintendent Bill Lynch will meet to discuss a possible increase in her duties in that position and an appropriate increase in salary.
The renewal of instructional sharing agreements with the HLV School District was approved. German, Spanish and vocational agriculture instructors have been shared by the two districts in the past. Several Belle Plaine students have participated in the HLV industrial technology program. Those programs will continue, with the addition of accelerated biology program instruction at HLV and a couple of accelerated program classes in social studies at Belle Plaine.
School calendar approved
The board approved the calendar for the upcoming school year. The first day of school for the 2009-2010 year will be Wednesday, Aug. 26. The Christmas holiday break will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 23, with classes resuming on Monday, Jan. 4. The spring holiday break will be April 2-5 and the last day of school is scheduled for Thursday, May 27.
Building plans adopted
The board approved the plans and specifications for building renovations and additions at the high school and Longfellow Elementary School. John Darveau of Struxture Architects presented a revised cost estimate of $9,527,585. There were some changes to the original designs, including added classroom space at Longfellow. A 530 square foot athletic storage addition will be added on the north end of the high school gym.
Darveau said some adjustments were also made in the price of the all-weather track at the high school to accommodate the necessary site work for the eight lane track.
Struxture Architects is currently involved in several building projects in eastern Iowa and Darveau reported that bids are coming in well, sometimes below his estimates. There are nine contractors who have expressed interest in the Belle Plaine project from as far as Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Bids will be opened on June 4 at 2 p.m. Following the architect’s review, his recommendation will be presented to the board on Thursday, Jun 11 at 6:30 p.m. That will be the special date for the board’s June meeting. In a related schedule matter, the board decided to move the time for each subsequent board meeting to 6:30 p.m.
Lynch said the plan is for construction to begin later this summer.
In a separate building matter, the board approved the construction of an addition to the wrestling room at the high school. Coach Bob Yilek reported that the estimated cost of the 25 x 40 foot addition will be $34,850. He has $10,000 set aside for the project and hopes to use some volunteer labor to cut the construction cost. Lynch recommended that the board approve making up the difference between those funds and the money needed to complete the project. Meanwhile, Yilek said fund raising will continue with the goal of eventually completely covering the cost of the project.
Personnel
The board approved the use of summer maintenance help in the district and the appointment of Holly Tomlin to teach the summer school program and Jack Schlesselman for the summer band program.
The resignations of Dennis Kurriger from his student council advisor duties and Nancy Landuyt, school lunch cook, were approved.
Budget amendment
Following a public hearing, the board approved a budget amendment which will allow for an increase in expenditures of just under $300,000 for the 2008-09 fiscal year. There will be no increase in property taxes for the increases, which will be paid for through increased receipts and balances not previously budgeted.

The move to cut dealerships by two of the country’s three major auto manufacturers earlier this week caused some anxious moments for owners of Belle Plaine’s dealerships.
Chrysler cut over 700 dealerships, including 22 in Iowa. But the company notified each of its dealers by letter, informing them if they were to be cut or to be retained. Joel Thys, owner of the Raleigh Johnson Chrysler dealership in Belle Plaine, said he was notified that his firm was spared from this round of cuts. Chrysler then released the entire list of dealers nationwide that would no longer be in the fold as a part of its bankruptcy filing, which is a public document.

General Motors, which is not yet in bankruptcy, chose a different path. That firm cut more than 1,000 dealerships nationwide, but there was no advance notice of which would stay and which would go, according to John Grieder of John Grieder Motors, Belle Plaine.
Thys owns the Shaull & Ullrich Chevrolet dealership in Blairstown, so he had to await word from both companies. Both men confirmed that they didn’t know until the close of business on the day of notification that their General Motors franchises were apparently spared from this round of cuts.. General Motors also did not choose to release an entire list of the dealers that would be affected and it is still not publicly known who will stay and who will go.
Thys said the company hadn’t notified its dealers what criteria it was using in determining the cuts and he and Grieder both said they still don’t know and any guesses they might put forth would only be speculation.
As both companies attempted to follow guidelines of the Obama Administration after they received federal bailout money, industry analysts had offered several theories on what those guidelines might be. They suggested that some of the dealerships in smaller communities would be the first to go. But in this first round of cuts, some of the dealers losing franchises in Iowa came from some of the state’s major metropolitan areas as well as some of the smaller towns.

So without official word, it was left to the dealers and their customers to wonder how they would be affected. Grieder, who has operated a car dealership in the community for many years, said he had received numerous calls of support from friends and customers.
Thys said he thinks General Motors will have to file for bankruptcy. He has heard reports in the media that the company may cut an additional 1,500 dealers in the coming months, so it may not be over yet.
Grieder said as he and other dealers look to the future, his firm will continue to provide the products and service it has been known for in the area.

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More than half of the 55 members of the Belle Plaine Class of 2009 received at least one scholarship or award this year. Many of the awards were presented at Sunday’s commencement ceremony at the high school, while others were presented at the annual senior awards breakfast earlier in the week.

This year’s class motto was “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories – the tears dry, the smiles fade but the memories last forever.”

The commencement address was a joint effort by the 2009 valedictorian Cameron Wagner and the salutatorian, Colton Wagner.

They produced a video which included best wishes from many members of the faculty and staff of the district.

There were 65 different awards and scholarships presented this year with several presented to more than one senior for a total of 104 awards.

In the following list, the awards and recipients are listed, as well as the monetary amount, where released:

Environmental Education Scholarship – Samantha Behncke
R.J. McElroy Trust Scholarship ($1,000) – Will Pierce
Wendy’s High School Heisman Nomination – Megan Ehlen and Cameron Wagner
Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Selection – Cameron Wagner and Katie Walton
KWWL Best of the Class 2009 – Cameron Wagner
Wheaton Franciscan Auxiliary Scholarship ($2,000 each) – Cameron Wagner and Colton Wagner
Mary J. Boland Scholarship ($1,000) – Wes Spading and Beth Purk
East Central Iowa REC Scholarship ($500) – Ben Novak and Paige Lohf
Bernie Saggau Award – Colton Wagner
Grand Lodge of Iowa, AF and A.M. ($2,000) – Colton Wagner
American Legion Post 39 – ($500) – Wes Spading
American Legion Auxiliary ($400) – Beth Purk
Vertis Communications Scholarship ($500) – Katie Walton
National Council on Youth Leadership ($100) – Spencer Roth
Iowa Bowling Council Scholarship ($300) – Kayla Steuart
George M. Sheets Trust Scholarship (approx. $3,000 per semester) – Emily Upah
Henry B. Tippie University of Iowa Scholarship – Emily Upah and Wes Spading
American Bar Association Citizenship Award – Emily Upah
2009 Hixson Opportunity Award for Poweshiek County (one-half of tuition and fee expenses for four years) – Paige Henning
Capri College Scholarship ($250) – Ashlie Fisher
Tama County Farm Bureau Scholarship ($500) – Davis Coover
United States Air Force Math and Science Awards – Cameron Wagner, Colton Wagner and Spencer Roth
Spanish Awards – Samantha Behncke, Katie Blank, Williams Pierce, Beth Purk, Cameron Wagner, Colton Wagner and Eric Ward
Knights of Columbus Scholarship ($400) – Wes Spading, Emily Upah, Spencer Roth
Governor’s Scholar – Cameron Wagner
Zamastil Memorial Scholarship – Katie Walton and Spencer Roth
Christ United Methodist Church Scholarship ($333.33) – Drew Hinschberger, Will Pierce and Paige Lohf
Blairstown Community Foundation Scholarship ($200) – Spencer Roth
Iowa County Cattlemen’s Scholarship – Tate DeMeulenaere
First Congregational Scholarship – Kayla Steuart
Dollars for Scholars ($500) – Spencer Roth, Tyson Squiers, Paul Grieder, Janet Petitt, Myles Kelly, Kristen Bevins and Katie Blank
Athletic Boosters ($250) – Megan Ehlen, Beth Purk, Phillip Stanerson and Katie Walton
Rotary (Kirkwood) ($400) – Katie Walton
Rotary in Memory of Wayne Conrad ($400) – Megan Ehlen
Lions Club ($250) – Rich DeFauw
Women’s Club ($400) – Amber Hohn
H.W. & Alberta Staffenbeal Trust Scholarship ($2,000 each) – Beth Purk and Drew Hinschberger
Jane Sayers UNI Scholarship ($500) – Beth Purk
Music Boosters ($250) – Paige Lohf and Will Pierce
MidWestOne Bank ($500) – Tate DeMeulenaere
Ruritan – Ben Novak
BPEA ($400) – Megan Ehlen, Drew Hinschberger, Tyson Squiers, Collin Walton and Amber Hohn
Donovan Scholarship ($3,000 renewable) – Samantha Behncke and Davis Coover
Clare M. Allee Memorial Scholarship – Colton Wagner, Cameron Wagner, Paige Henning, Samantha Behncke, Spencer Roth and Emily Upah
Belle Plaine Ambulance Scholarship ($300) – Katie Walton
Coe College Trustee Scholarship – Spencer Roth
Coe College Academic Enhancement Scholarship/Science – Spencer Roth
Coe College Writing Center Fellowship – Spencer Roth
Ernest Hayden & Harriet Thomas Memorial Scholarship at ISU – Paige Henning
Florence V. Ritchie Scholarship at ISU – Paige Henning
CHS Incoming Freshman Merit Scholarship at ISU – Paige Henning
Drake University Presidential Scholar – Amber Hohn
Drake University Fine Arts Scholarship for Music – Amber Hohn
UNI Distinguished Scholars – Beth Purk
Coe College Dean’s Scholarship – Megan Ehlen
Crimson Award – Megan Ehlen
Legacy Scholarship – Megan Ehlen
Iowa State University Future of Agriculture & Life Sciences Scholarship – Samantha Behncke
Cornell College Academic and Community Enrichment Scholarship – Myles Kelly
Kirkwood Leaders for Tomorrow Scholarship – Collin Walton
Wartburg College Regents Scholarship – Cameron Wagner and Colton Wagner
Wartburg College Legacy Grant – Cameron Wagner and Colton Wagner

Amateur boxing and ultimate fighting programs have been banned in the City of Belle Plaine. Monday night, the Belle Plaine City Council passed the second of three readings on an ordinance banning such programs. The vote was 4-1, with Harold Ealy opposing it. The council then voted on the same 4-1 roll call vote to waive the third reading, which will make the ordinance law.

The move came after a recent show at the Belle Plaine American Legion, where fights broke out in the crowd and law enforcement officers from several departments were dispatched to the scene. Officials for the Legion had asked the council not to ban the programs and offered to beef up security. But the council opted to implement the ban.

In other action, rates for water and sewer service and garbage collection will increase 3.8 percent as of July 1, 2009. Several years ago, the city council enacted a policy of raising rates to reflect the federal consumer price index on an annual basis. Rates for residential water use will increase 16 cents per 1,000 gallons to $4.27. Non-residents receiving the water service will pay $5.70 per 1,000, up from the current $5.49. The same rates apply for sewer service.

The new rates for garbage collection will be $18.48 per household per month, compared to the current rate of $17.80. The landfill charge for businesses will increase 50 cents per month to $5.50 and the collection charge for apartments will increase $2 per month to $22.

The council approved two applications for interior upgrades for two downtown businesses. Acting on recommendations of the Interior Design Committee, the council approved the applications of Matthew Clark, doing business as Paper Cuts and Other Stuff at 817 12^th Street and for Jerilyn and John DeRaad, doing business as Double Take Design, Inc., 823 12^th Street.

In their applications, Clark explained his business will be a retail store with a soda fountain. The DeRaads are opening a furniture/design store with an internet/coffee area and two hotel rooms upstairs.

Each of the businesses will now be in line for grants not to exceed $7,500 each. City Administrator Bill Daily told the council that neither is guaranteed that amount, but it depends on the scope and cost of their individual projects.

The council appointed Dick Wells to fill an unexpired term on the city’s community center board. The term will expire on June 30, 2010.

The council accepted the low bid of $28,575 from John Grieder Motors for a fire department personnel carrier. The vehicle will be a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 4-wheel drive crew cab pick-up truck. The other bid submitted came from Johnson Motors on a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab SXT/SLT 4×4 pick-up truck. That bid was $29,995.

Police Chief Kris Hudson and Jon Dayton, Belle Plaine Community Development (BPCDC) executive director, offered their monthly reports. Hudson indicated that his department is in the midst of a special traffic enforcement program and may draw on the resources of the county sheriff’s department and the Iowa State Patrol in the enforcement effort.

Dayton reported on several conferences he and other representatives of the BPCDC have attended in the past month.

In his report to the council, Daily indicated that the downtown streetscape project is on hold pending the receipt of several grants. An initial presentation was made to the state’s Vision Iowa board for a $561,000 grant last week and an application for a Community Development Block Grant is still in the works. Although city officials have heard that Belle Plaine may be on the fast track for that grant, no final determination has yet been made and Daily said it could be next year before any work on the downtown is started.

He also told the council that there will be a meeting concerning the city’s potential application for the Iowa Great Places program will be held on Wednesday, May 27, at the Community Center beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Committee of the whole

Prior to its regular meeting, council members discussed the possible construction of a sewer line to serve the residents along 13^th Avenue. At an earlier meeting several residents had appeared to request the service, indicating that they had been asking for the service for several years.

Ealy said the residents have every right to expect the service and postponing the construction would only increase the cost. Daily said when the council last considered sewer construction in the area four or five years ago, the price tag was approximately $160,000. Officials estimate current costs could top $200,000.

Residents in the area are now served with individual septic systems. But at least one resident, Ed Landuyt, told the council that his system is in need of major repairs or replacement and he would like to forgo that cost if the city plans on extending the sewer line to his neighborhood.

He volunteered to ask some of his neighbors whether they would be willing to hook on to a city line or if they are satisfied with their current service. He will report back to city officials.

Councilmen also discussed a recent water main break in the northwest part of the city. The break may have been caused by a fire department training exercise and the use of fire hydrants in the area. Fire Chief Russ Spading told the council that his department will be discussing alternate training procedures which should alleviate the problem. But he told the council that breaks could still occur from time to time in the event of a major fire in a neighborhood.

Despite the weather, sickness and injuries, the junior high girl’s track team had a very successful season. They managed to win their own Belle Plaine invitational and ended the season with a great performance at Montezuma to win that invitational also.

“What a great bunch of girl’s to coach!” Coach Reece Dodd said. “The girls really complimented one another. We were solid in the field events, hurdles and short and long distance events. Just a pleasure to coach

“Here are the events we ran at and the team results:

Iowa Valley: Team scores not kept

Belle Plaine: 1^st

Gladbrook-Reinbeck: 5^th

English Valleys: 3^rd

CC/Amana 8^{th –} 5^th

CC/Amana 7^{th –} 5^th

Montezuma: 1^st

Here is a list of the team members and the events they ran in this season:

8^th graders:

Kayla Bergom – 7 Flight hurdles, 200 hurdles

Dani Chilcote – 200, 400, and 800’s

Emily Coover – 7 Flight hurdles, 200 hurdles, 200’s

Darian Griffith – 100 and 200’s, 7 Flight hurdles, 200 hurdles,  long jump

Kaley Hamilton – 200, 400 and 800’s

Taylor Janss – sprinter and long jumper, injured throughout the year

Julie Long – 200, 400 and 800’s

Nikki Lown – 100 and 200’s

Cheyann Markham – 100 and 200’s, 7 Flight hurdles, shot put and discus

Nettie Miller – 100, 200, 400 and 800’s, long jump

Molly O’Brien – 100 and 200’s, 7 Flight hurdles

Jamie Rich – 200, 400 and 800’s, discus

Breanna Robertson – 100 and 200’s

Melissa Stull – 100 and 200’s, shot put

Nicole Thys – 100, 800 and 1500, high jump and long jump

Paige Wiese – Manager

7^th graders:

Taylor Arens – 800 and 1500, high jump

Rachel Blink – 800’s, discus and shot put

Alivia Buch – 100 and 200’s

Brialy Carlson – 800 and 1500

Bailey Chekal – 100, 200 and 400’s, 7 Flight hurdles and high jump

Destiny Dunning – 100 and 200’s

Larissa Fowler – 100 and 200’s, shot put

Shayla Hinschberger – 100 and 200’s, 7 Flight and 200 hurdles, long jump

Katie Rich – 200, 400 and 800’s, discus

Justice Yilek – 400, 800 and 1500, high jump

“The 8^th graders will be missed!,” Dodd said “They are good athletes with a lot of heart and a very enjoyable group to coach. They have had a lot of success in their two years of track and hope they continue to participate in track at the high school level next year. If they stay at it and keep working hard, they can achieve anything they put their minds to. I hate to see them go but I know Coach Mantz will be happy to see them. Good Luck girls, it’s been a pleasure!!

“The 7^th graders had a very strong year also. What they lack in numbers is a good selection of athletes in all aspects of track. They have short sprinters, long sprinters and long distance runners. Every field event has a solid performer and a couple of superb hurdlers. With some help from next year’s 7^th graders, these ladies can achieve even more success in 2010. I hope each and everyone of them continues to participate next year. I can’t wait!!”

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Members of the 2009 Belle Plaine Junior High girls track team, shown below, include, Front row (lt. to rt.): Breanna Robertson, Destiny Dunning, Brialy Carlson, Shayla Hinschberger, Larissa Fowler, Alivia Buch, Taylor Arens, Darian Griffith. Second row: Kayla Bergom, Nicole Thys, Melissa Stull, Cheyann Markham, Julie Long, Kaley Hamilton, Jamie Rich, Nikki Lown. Third row: Justice Yilek, Molly O’Brien, Emily Coover, Dani Chilcote, Nettie Miller, Taylor Janss, Bailey Chekal, Rachel Blink, manager Paige Weise. Not pictured: Katie Rich.

Representatives of the Belle Plaine Community Development Corp. (BPCDC) Board and the city recently invited the Vision Iowa Board to become part of the local team in a quest to revitalize the city’s downtown area.

Jennifer Zahradnik, president of the BPCDC board and City Administrator Bill Daily presented the city’s application for a $551,000 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant before the CAT and Vision Iowa Boards in Des Moines last week. It would help pay for entrance signs, art and other displays as a part of the city’s planned streetscape project. Nine people from Belle Plaine, as well as State. Sen. Tim Kapucian attended the meeting.

The CAT board took the Belle Plaine request under advisement and upon further review will determine whether it should be taken to the full Vision Iowa Board for action.

During her portion of the presentation, Zahradnik explained that Belle Plaine has a rich culture heritage and history, including its ties to the Lincoln Highway, Union Pacific Railroad and “unique architecture.” She reminded the board that the city is located in close proximity to several larger population centers and is along the Iowa River Corridor.

“The Cultural Districts Sustainable renovations feature storm water management, energy efficient lighting, low impact materials and other green products and processes,” she said. “This combined with the cultural amenities such as art, music and interactive displays make this project a true renovation rather than just repaving the street and sidewalks. It’s always better to leave your community a little better than you found it.

“Making Belle Plaine a destination is all about people, whether its for people coming for a visit or making Belle Plaine their home. You have to have people for your rural community to survive. In order to attract people you need quality of life assets. You need a vibrant, aesthetically pleasing downtown with its own retained sense of place. You need clean, attractive, safe neighborhoods, a good school system and something for the residents to do. We have all of these assets except the pleasing downtown.”

The city’s presentation included the display of a series of 11 posters portraying the project area as it now exists and the planned renovation. Those posters were prepared by Renaissance Design Group (RDG), which was commissioned by the city for the project. (Many of those posters are on display at the offices of the BPCDC in downtown Belle Plaine.) Mike Bell, a landscape designer with RDG Consultants also explained portions of the project.

Daily told the board that the city has applied for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to go along with a $2 million commitment from the city, $20,000 from the Benton County Supervisors, $6,000 from the Benton County Foundation and $5,000 from the Mansfield Trust. He explained that other aspects of the project include renovation of the facades of downtown buildings and considerable infrastructure work in the area.

“There are other communities that have a streetscape project ready to go and there are other communities that have a facade master plan. But to our knowledge we are the only community in the state that has a comprehensive plan with both projects ‘shovel ready.’ We could be the model for the state when it comes to downtown revitalization if we are successful at securing CAT Grant funds and CDBG Funds.

“However, if we don’t receive CAT funding the sustainable cultural district will go forward, but it will not include all the artful displays that are proposed. Unfortunately, we believe these are the elements that will attract people and without these amenities, we won’t get the results we are looking for.”

“This projet is a celebration, a celebration of our rich transportation history built upon the railroad and Lincoln Highway,” Daily said. “Although little visual presence of these remain, the rich history and the diverse culture they brought to Belle Plaine continue to influence and shape our future.

“With out-of-the-box thinking we are not waiting for success to mysteriously appear someday. Mo so we are positioning ourselves for success and a part of the effort is the sustainable cultural district. We have assembled a team that is addressing all aspects of downtown revitalization and we would like to invite the Vision Iowa Board to join our team.”

“As we look towards the future and making Belle Plaine better for our kids, now is the time to move,” Zahradnik said. “Now is the time to complete our renovations, have an attractive downtown and increase our market area and market share. There is currently a market gap over our three market areas of $182 million over a five-year period. We want to recapture that gap and have more dollars flowing into our community than out. We’ve already committed and the people of our community have already committed to this project. With your help this can be accomplished.”

The Belle Plaine application was one of 14 bids being considered during the meeting. Cities, counties and school and community groups made requests asking for varying amounts of the $12 million allocation the Vision Iowa Board will draw from during this fiscal year. For some of the groups, this was the second or third time they had appeared before the board. Some of the request received referrals to the full Vision Iowa Board with a recommendation for approval, while some were sent back for further work.

There was no indication on how soon the board might act on Belle Plaine’s application, but it meets monthly and local officials are hoping for a quick positive response so that the project might get underway as soon as possible.

Belle Plaine athletes and coaches will be busy later this week as a total of five individual events and four relays qualified for the State Co-Ed Track and Field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines beginning Thursday. They punched their tickets to the big meet through district and regional meets at Tipton on a rain-soaked track on Friday.

For the girls, Dani Coover qualified in the 100 meter hurdle event. The preliminaries at state willl be Friday at 5:20 p.m. With the finals set for Saturday at 12:35. Taylor Schafbuch was a qualifier in the 400 meter hurdles. The finals for that event are scheduled for Friday at 3:40 p.m.

In the other individual event, Megan Abernathy qualified in the long jump. The preliminaries and finals for that event are set for Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

In both the boys’ and girls’ meets, six possible entrants are listed for the four slots on each relay team. The Plainsman girls qualified in the 4 x 200 relay, with Coover, Schafbuch and Abernathy joined by Paige Henning, Mallory Brandt and Melissa Janss as possible team members. The finals for that event are set for Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The Plainsman boys are sending two individuals and three relay teams to the state meet. Brian Crow will compete in 100 meter dash, with preliminaries set for Thursday at 4:35 p.m. The finals are Saturday at 12:25 p.m.

Tate DeMeulenaere qualified in the 110 meter hurdles. He will compete in the preliminaries Friday at 5 p.m. The finals are set for Saturday at 12:45 p.m.

The 4 x 100 meter relay team of Tate DeMeulenaere, Crow, Myles Kelly, Seivon Steward, Brayden Morrow and Keegan DeMeulenaere will compete in the preliminaries Friday at 6:20 p.m. The finals are Saturday at 3:20 p.m.

The distance medley relay team of Steward, Crow, Chris Janss, Tyler Brandt, Tate DeMeulenaere and John Long will compete in the finals Friday at 5:40 p.m.

The other local qualifier was the shuttle hurdle relay team of Keegan and Tate DeMeulenaere, Morrow, Steward, Kelly and Crow. Preliminaries for that event are Thursday at 2:40 p.m. Finals are set for Saturday at 11:40 a.m.

The Belle Plaine community is mourning the passing of one of its most veteran teachers. Linda Abel, who taught language arts at the junior high level for 40 years, died on Wednesday, May 13, at the Belle Plaine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center following a short illness.

Miss Abel, 65, came to Belle Plaine in 1966 and retired in 2006. She was already a veteran on the staff in 1985 when her colleague in the junior high language arts department, Carol DeJong, joined the staff.

“She was fabulous to work with,” DeJong said. “She was the sweetest, kindest person and always had a positive word for everyone. She was always willing to come in early and stay late to help students.”

Miss Abel attended many school events, never missing a high school graduation as she saw several generations of her former students complete their secondary education. The younger kids in the area made her home a special stop on Halloween, where Miss Abel would take their pictures, DeJong said.

“She influenced a lot of kids’ lives,” DeJong said. “She was a special lady, an icon in Belle Plaine and will be remembered for a very long time.

“She will be sorely missed.”

Services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine by Rev. Dean Duncan.  Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Oelwein at a later date.  She will be cremated following the services.  Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Hrabak Funeral Home with a time for sharing at 7:30 p.m.