By Jeff Brown

jbinbp@mchsi.com

jeff@boredfactoryworker.com

“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” – Henry Ford

“My best friend is the one who cleans out my litter box.” – Waterfall

Let me start this column by declaring my unconditional love for my cat, Waterfall. Although I never really considered myself to be much of an animal person before Waterfall came along, it’s amazing to me how attached I’ve become to the little cretin over the years. And as in all the other relationships in my life, it’s the little things that matter most to me.

I love the way Waterfall purrs when I rub his tummy. I love the way he hops up on the coffee table and gets in my way when I’m trying to watch TV. I positively loved it this morning when he puked right in front of me on the coffee table as I attempted to eat a bowl of Golden Grahams.

Hairballs are a small price to pay for such a luxurious coat. Waterfall has the longest, shiniest, most beautiful black and white fur you’ve ever seen on a cat. People come up to me all the time and say, “That’s the longest, shiniest, most beautiful black and white fur I’ve ever seen on a cat. What’s his secret?”

Filled with the pride usually only reserved for the owners of show cats, I smile and say, “Frontline. It works wonders.”

If the cat looks so darned handsome covered with fur, then everything should look terrific covered with the stuff. That’s what I always say. Well, not really, but you’d think so if you ever came over to my house. I have the handsomest couch, carpet, and kitchen counters you’ve ever seen.

Waterfall and I have a give and take relationship. I give him food and shelter, and he takes drinks directly from the kitchen faucet with his tongue. We’re there for each other too—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Waterfall instinctively knows that if he’s hungry or scared (when I say “hungry or scared” I mean “bored”) that he can come into my bedroom at 2:30 in the morning and meow incessantly until I get up and run some water into the bathroom sink for him. (I recently discovered that he’ll leave me alone if I do this. I don’t know why. I don’t think I want to.)

Imagine this… It’s early in the morning and you’re awakened by classical music coming from the bathroom radio. You get up, shuffle down the hall, and fling open the bathroom door. You’re shocked to see Waterfall reclining in the sink with a shower cap on. There are soapsuds everywhere and an empty bottle of Frontline: Bubblebath for Cats is lying on its side on the floor. Waterfall shoots you an annoyed look and says, “Do you mind?”

Waterfall is there for me too. Why just the other day when I was carrying in a heavy load of groceries from the car, Waterfall came right over to me and got as close as he could to my feet. It was almost as if he was trying to say, “Do you need any help, Jeff? If you do, I’m right here, right next to your feet, as close as I possibly can get to them. Hey, watch where you’re stepping!”

I wish Waterfall could speak. It gives me goose bumps when I think about all the male bonding we could accomplish.

Jeff: (Gets up off the couch and heads down the hall.)

Waterfall: Hey, Jeff. (Hops on the coffee table.) While you’re in the bathroom, do you mind if I take a drink directly from your water glass with my tongue?

Jeff: (Voice from down the hall.) No, not at all. Go right ahead buddy.

Waterfall: While I’m at it do you mind if I dip my filthy litter-encrusted toes into your glass? It would be so refreshing.

Jeff: Be my guest.

Waterfall: Oh, would you like a little pet dander in your bowl of popcorn?

Jeff: That would be just dandy!

Waterfall: I love you man.

Jeff: (Comes back into the living room and points at the cat with both hands.) No, no, no. I love you!

The Belle Plaine Historical Society is seeking people who are interested in helping with the Civil War Cemetery walk. What is needed are people whose ancestors served in the Civil War and are buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Belle Plaine.  Also needed are stories of their Civil War experiences pictures and any other memorabilia to make a display at the museum.

Persons with information should contact the Belle Plaine Area Museum or Bev Winkie at 434-2079.

Take one 222-foot long storage tank, put it on a trailer with at least 56 tires, add two escort trucks, one local police officer, two Department of Transportation “T-car” officers and a crew of six. Stir them all together and put them on Highway 21. Throw in a right-hand turn on the city’s busiest intersection, followed by a trip southbound down the highway over several bridges and around a curve and you have all the ingredients for a very interesting Friday morning.

With less than 10 minutes notice, Belle Plaine Police were informed that the huge storage tank was being transported from Minnesota to its ultimate St. Louis destination. When the convoy reached the Seventh Avenue-13^th Street intersection, it stopped as crew members took out their two-way radios and tape measures to ensure that the truck would be able to make the turn. The truck had three sets of dual tires on the back and the trailer had at least 56 tires to support the 20-foot wide load.

One of the crew members said the truck and trailer was probably worth between $1 million and $1.5 million. Total weight for the truck and cargo was estimated at about 500,000 pounds. This crew was based in Ohio, he said.

The truck made the turn at the intersection slowly on the first try. The convoy then had to wait for a passing train before proceeding south out of the city, as many local residents lined the streets to watch. The truck and trailer took up most of both lanes of traffic on Highway 21 outside of the city and proceeded at a very slow rate over both the Salt Creek and Iowa River bridges. It then inched around the curve onto Highway 212 on its way through Marengo and on south.

Local residents will have one last formal chance to bid “farewell” to the city’s 52-year-old swimming pool on Sunday night. The Belle Plaine Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a Last Big Splash pool party and cookout on Sunday, from 7-9 p.m.

Free swimming, free hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks will be provided.

The pool officially closes for the last time for human use on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Aug. 9, the traditional Doggie Dip, sponsored by Oak Knob Kennels, will be held from 1-3 p.m.

Dogs, accompanied by their owners, will be allowed to swim in the wading pool or the main pool that afternoon. The owners must sign a liability waiver, show proof of their pet’s vaccination and Belle Plaine dogs must be licensed.

To register for the Doggie Dip or for more information, contact the pool at 444-3955 or City Hall, 444-2200.

Bids have been awarded and construction of the city’s new aquatics center, slated to be placed on the site of the current pool, could begin as early as Aug. 10, city officials said.

Belle Plaine native Lonnie Nielsen fired an even par 72 Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Senior Open Golf Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, IN. Nielsen is tied for 36^th in the tourney, which was led after the first round by four golfers, including Greg Norman, Dan Forsman, Joey Sindelar and amateur Tim Jackson, who all fired rounds of six-under 66.

Nielsen’s round included three birdies and three bogeys.

For today’s second round, Nielsen was scheduled to go off the tenth tee at 12:40 p.m, (Iowa time) in a group that also includes Sindelar and Jeff Sluman.

Friday’s round will be telecast on ESPN from noon until 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the telecast moves to NBC from 2-5 p.m. each day.

Arraignment has been scheduled for three people charged in the death of Curtis Bailey of Marengo. Jason Hilgendorf and Jessica Dayton, both of Belle Plaine and Denise Frei of Marengo will be arraigned on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 9 a.m. in Iowa County District Court in Marengo.

The three face first degree murder charges in the July 19^th death of Bailey, who owned the Lincoln Café in Belle Plaine. Frei, Bailey’s common law wife, ran the café. Hilgendorf is her son and Dayton is Hilgendorf’s friend. Their bond had earlier been set at $500,000 each.

Bailey died at his home. Authorities have refused to state the exact cause of death, but an autopsy indicated that his death was a homicide.

Preparation for the 2009 high school football season in Belle Plaine gets a formal start on Monday, when the Plainsmen open football camp from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The camp will be held each night next week.

Formal practice begins Monday, Aug. 10, with the first three days scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Afternoon practice with full pads begins Thursday, Aug. 13, from 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Team members will conduct a can and bottle collection drive on Friday, Aug. 14 as a fundraiser. Anyone with pop or beer cans or bottles should contact a player prior to that day for pick-up.

The annual Buck Bowl and picture day is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21.

The Plainsmen open their season on Friday, Aug. 28 at HLV.

The City of Belle Plaine was invited to re-submit its request for Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant funds from the Vision Iowa Board following a meeting in Belle Plaine Wednesday.

Iowa City Mayor Regenia Bailey, who is the chair person of the Vision Iowa Board, along with Alaina Santizo, Vision Iowa/CAT program manager, met with Mayor Jim Daily, City Administrator Bill Daily, Jennifer Zahradnik, president of the Belle Plaine Community Development Corp. board and Sue Riherd, who operated True Value Hardware Store with her husband, Dave, for many years in downtown Belle Plaine.

The city had applied for over $500,000 from Vision Iowa for a planned streetscape project in the downtown area. But the board turned down the application, citing the need for more broad-based support and more information. This came after representatives traveled to Des Moines earlier this spring and gave a 10-minute presentation, complete with nearly a dozen artists’ renderings of the project.

After receiving word that the application would be denied, local officials were led to believe that Vision Iowa was no longer in favor of funding streetscape projects. But Bill Daily said after this week’s meeting, he was assured that wasn’t true. He said the indication he received from the board representatives was they would be more selective in future streetscape funding projects, looking for projects which would more directly enhance a downtown economic development goal.

They also indicated that they wanted to see more green elements in any future streetscape applications, although the Belle Plaine plan includes many areas for landscaping and art.

Bill Daily said local officials certainly had some concerns, many of which were conveyed to Iowa Gov. Chet Culver in a letter from Mayor Jim Daily. That letter was referenced during Wednesday’s meeting, Bill Daily said.

Although the board had indicated to local officials that it was seeking more broad-based support for the streetscape project, Bill Daily told the representatives that the city would not consider a special downtown taxing district for the project, due to the current economic climate.

The deadline for resubmitting the city’s application to the Vision Iowa Board is Oct. 15. Meanwhile, local representatives will be in Des Moines on Aug. 12 to make a presentation on another CAT grant application, for just over $100,000 for the new aquatics center project.

Bill Daily asked Bailey and Santizo if the board was leaning toward cutting back on the number of aquatics grants it would fund. But he said he was assured that the city would get a fair hearing on this grant application in August.

As for the larger streetscape grant, Bill Daily said he wasn’t sure whether the city would re-apply. But he said after this week’s meeting, he might recommend it to the other local officials.

The Benton County Chapter of Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity will be building a new home in Belle Plaine.  The home will be built on 11^th Street on property donated to Habitat by the city of Belle Plaine. The organization is seeking volunteer help for the project.

Major construction on the Belle Plaine home will begin in early September and will continue on Saturdays, as well as some weekdays, through the end of October.  Volunteers are needed to make this build a reality!

Everyone is encouraged to participate as part of a faith-based group, company, civic organization, or as an individual.  Volunteer opportunities are available in construction and support tasks such as registration, meal solicitation and preparation.

All willing volunteers regardless of skill level are welcome. We will find a job for you!  (Volunteers must be 16 years of age.)

If you would like to be a part of this exciting project, please contact the Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity office in Hiawatha at 319-366-4485, Doug Goodsell at 319-227-6225, Kathy Jacobsen at 319-446-7358 or visit the Habitat website at cvhabitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer-driven organization and invites people from diverse backgrounds to find common ground in coming together to address the need for affordable housing.

Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity (CVHH) is a partnership of churches, businesses, individuals, organizations and families of low resources that has a proven track record in addressing the need for affordable housing in Linn and Benton counties.  It is the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), an ecumenical Christian housing organization committed to eliminating substandard housing in the world.

Belle Plaine’s Tyler Johnson carded a four-over-par 76 Wednesday to finish in a tie for seventh place at the 107^th Iowa Amateur Golf Championship at Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo.

Johnson had been second after round two of the three-round tourney after a one-under 71 on the opening day, followed by a three-under 69 on Tuesday. But on Wednesday, he had six bogeys and just two birdies to finish at even par 216.

Ben Herrera of Ames blistered the course with rounds of 64, 68 and 70 for a 202, 10 strokes ahead of the field and 14 under par. He set a record for a 54-hole tourney that was last set in 2000.

The tournament also featured a pair of holes-in-one by Brad George, a University of Iowa sophomore from Marion.

Earlier this summer, Johnson won the Iowa Golf Association Match Play Championship at the Tournament Club of Iowa at Polk City.