Belle Plaine Area Ambulance officials have announced the winners in their recent raffle. The drawing was held during Saturday’s first annual Sweet Corn Festival at Franklin Park.

The winners included: Jocelyn Meeks, case of oil from Carquest; Brenda Cronin, Hawkeye Downs and Cedar Rapids Kernels tickets; Derrick McLoed, Jim Burns and Jennifer Juett, Hawkeye Downs tickets; Kelly Clark and Terry Dolan, Fareway gift certificates; Donna Buckley, Cedar Rapids Roughriders tickets; Candace Cropp, Isle Casino tickets and Rebecca Penning, Iowa Speedway tickets.

Dan Johnson, co-director of the ambulance service, said more than $6,000 was raised during the event and more proceeds are still coming in. He said his staff was very happy with the turnout, with an estimated 300-400 participants. He also expressed appreciation for the support from members of neighboring ambulance services.

“We will do it again next year,” he said.

Friday’s presentation of Music on Main in front of the Belle Plaine Area Museum has been cancelled. The concert will return on Friday, July 31, at 6 p.m., featuring the Lawrence Welk Wannabees.

Bond has been set at $500,000 each for three people, including two from Belle Plaine, arrested in connection with the death of Curtis C. Bailey, Marengo, Sunday. Denise Leone Frei, 43, who lived with Bailey in Marengo, along with Jacob Scott Hilgendorf and Jessica Anne Dayton, both 19 of Belle Plaine have been charged with first degree murder in the case.

Frei and Bailey were co-owners of Bailey’s Lincoln Café in Belle Plaine. Hilgendorf is Frei’s son and Dayton is reportedly Hilgendorf’s friend.

Marengo Police were called to the Bailey home shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday. Following an investigation by the Marengo Police and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the three were arrested Sunday afternoon. They remain in the Iowa County Jail in Marengo.

A preliminary hearing has been set for Thursday, July 30 at the Iowa County Courthouse in Marengo.

The next time you are out for coffee somewhere with a bunch of friends and the conversation is beginning to lag, just say the words “health care” and then sit back and listen to the debate for the next hour or so.

Unless there’s a major disaster somewhere around the world, you can’t tune in any radio or TV newscast and not hear about the current national debate on reforming the health care system.

On one side of the debate is a young president who is genuinely concerned about the health of the citizens. He’s stubborn. He won’t take “no” for an answer. He doesn’t necessarily believe the “business as usual” is the only way. He also believes we can’t wait for action.

On the other side are members of Congress, a strong lobby and some very influential people who are quite comfortable with the way things are. They would have you believe that we have the greatest health care system in the world and that any major change in the way things are now being done would put drug companies and insurance companies and who knows, probably the convenience store down the street,out of business and in the end bankrupt the country.

Somewhere in the middle are some members of Congress who realize something has to be done, either sooner or later, but they are concerned about the cost of it all.

It’s truly amazing how much misinformation is out there, most of it promoted by the drug companies, insurance companies and maybe even the medical lobby. They uncover stories of people in other countries where there’s universal health care that must wait months to receive treatment for a variety of ailments.

Many of these countries are considered modern, industrialized nations where the citizens have a strong voice in how their government is run. So if that’s the case and if the health care is so substandard there, why haven’t there been riots in the streets of Canada, England, France, Germany or Italy? Nobody has a shorter temper than an injured or ill individual who is denied timely treatment.

In this ongoing health debate, many cite the 40-50 million of us who have no health insurance. But many more of us who are fortunate to be insured through our employer still live in fear of financial ruin in the event we contract a serious illness or injury. Thanks to the ever increasing insurance premiums that are left unchecked by a friendly Federal government, our coverage is not what it once was, nor is it entirely adequate.

How many of us have gone to the doctor or hospital, fully expecting our insurance to cover our care only to receive a bill a few weeks later citing our share of the cost based on not fulfilling our deductible or having to pay a co-pay?

What this country needs is a single-payer system. When you go to the hospital, you should be able to present a card and be treated. No deductibles, no co-pays, no passing “go” and collecting $200.

Some have suggested that employers be forced to provide health insurance for their employees. Perhaps our employers should be allowed to get out of the health insurance as a direct benefit business Each employer would be assessed a certain per employee fee, but they would be able to save some administrative costs by not dealing with insurance companies. Part of that fee would be waived if the employer could show that he had instated company-paid health programs, such as an on site gym, smoking cessation programs, etc. Citizens could also be assessed a reasonable fee, deducted from our paychecks, to help cover insurance costs. That fee would be determined on income levels.

The government could offer scholarships to medical students who pledge to enter fields which might be less lucrative or more time consuming. It’s time to reign in drug costs through limiting or eliminating the drug companies’ right to lobby and to limit where they can advertise.

This next idea will probably surprise you who have read what I’ve written so far and figure this is all leftist talk. But it’s also time to limit malpractice settlements. Too many victims of medical malpractice are convinced by their attorneys that a favorable judgment is a ticket to instant wealth.

When a doctor makes a mistake and when a judge or jury determines he or she is at fault, then the victim deserves to be compensated. But not in a punitive manner. If a person suffers a career-ending injury at the hands of a doctor, that person deserves enough of a settlement to pay for future medical costs and a sensible determination of lost wages. But once those figures are determined, there’s no need to tack on an additional $5 million to punish the doctor and his insurance company.

As you listen to the health care debate in the coming weeks, keep an open mind. Health care is a right, not a privilege. We all need to assume some responsibility to maintain good health and help pay for our own health care. If you want to get another view of how our neighbors in other countries receive health care, don’t listen to the horror stories cooked up by those with their own agenda. Go on line and Google “Canadian health care” or other countries and you may get a different view.

Sunday’s Addison Stamp benefit at the Belle Plaine Country Club is shaping up to be a major celebration as the list of auction and raffle prizes continues to grow.

Addison is the two-year-old daughter of Jessica and Josh Stamp, Belle Plaine, who suffers from a disease that requires constant medical treatment.

Sunday’s events start at 11 a.m. with a golf outing and bake sale. Anyone wishing to donate items for the bake sale should bring them to the club the day of the benefit.

A lunch will be served from 2-6 p.m. consisting of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, salad, baked beans, potato chips, lemonade, coffee, tea and cake for dessert. The price for the meal and the bake sale is a free will donation.

The general raffle will begin at approximately 4 p.m. and currently includes 70 different prizes ranging from a muzzle loader gun, to many t-shirts, hats and gift certificates. Donations are still being accepted so the number of items is growing every day.

The auction and silent auction will follow the awarding of raffle prizes. Some of the items for the auction include three bags of seed corn, four tickets to the Minnesota Twins, 12 tickets to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Pepsi Suite, four half-hogs with processing included, select beef cuts, four rounds of golf with cart at the Amana Colonies Golf Course, many one-hour body massages, a kid’s motorized John Deere tractor and wagon, toy barn, kid’s puppy bench, a Mitch King autographed football, Coach Todd Lickliter autographed basketball, large framed elk and whitetails prints, 14-piece knife set, digital camera, 4-wheel drive John Deere toy tractor, Quadtrac Case IH toy tractor, digital photo frame, family photo session, quilts, electric toothbrushes and many more items.

For more information on the benefit or to make donations, contact Jason or Bee Kaplan at 319-444-2016 or (cell) 319-350-1143 or via e-mail at beekaplan@yahoo.com or jasondkaplan@yahoo.com

Belle Plaine softball experienced a rebirth of sorts this season, as the Plainsmen posted a record of 21-11. Despite featuring just three seniors on the squad, the Plainsmen flourished under first year head coach Cathy Cronbaugh, finishing 15-6 in the SICL Conference behind champion Iowa Valley, Lynnville-Sully and North Mahaska.

They started off strong this season, winning their first two games and winning seven in a row in one stretch by the middle of June. Two of their next three losses came at the hands of Lynnville-Sully by one and two runs, respectively. Although Iowa Valley beat them 9-1 early in the season, later the margin was much closer, 3-0. North Mahaska, which later qualified for the state tournament, also had a tough time with Belle Plaine in both meetings, taking the first, 4-3 and the second, 3-0.

Two of the team’s strengths this season were hitting and pitching. With a team batting average of .319, the Plainsmen scored 10 runs or more eight times and were shut out only four times. The pitchers had a combined earned run average of 2.12.

Those three seniors will be tough to replace. First baseman Megan Ehlen led the team with a .435 batting average, with a team-high 15 doubles and 23 RBIs. She also had three triples and 11 stolen bases.

Centerfielder Katie Walton had a .375 batting average with 22 RBIs, 14 doubles, one triple and one of the team’s two homeruns this season. Starting pitcher Kristen Bevins had a .339 batting average, drove in 14 runs and led the team with 13 stolen bases.

Junior shortstop Taylor Schafbuch had a .329 batting average, with 19 RBIs. She led the team with 21 walks. Another junior, catcher Brenna Ford, hit .281 and drove in 10 runs. Freshman second baseman Melissa Janss had a .265 batting average, drove in 13 runs and walked a dozen times. Left fielder Molly O’Brien just finished the eighth grade but she had 100 at bats and hit .260. Freshman right fielder Macy DeMeulenaeere also hit .260. Sophomore Joy Cronbaugh, who was a third baseman and pitcher, had a .256 batting average with 10 RBIs and 18 walks.

A pair of graduated eighth graders saw limited varsity action but showed a lot of potential. Melissa Stull, a designated hitter, came to the plate just 35 times but had a .429 batting average with a double, triple and six RBIs. Infielder Julie Long had one hit in five plate appearances.

The team relied on two pitchers this season and both of them compiled impressive numbers. Bevins had a record of 14-7, with 73 strikeouts and 22 walks and an e.r.a. of 1.98. Cronbaugh was 7-4 with 33 strikeouts and 12 walks and a 2.4 e.r.a.

Belle Plaine’s first annual Sweet Corn Festival Saturday was an apparent success. According to officials with the Belle Plaine Ambulance Service, which sponsored the event as a fundraiser for the service, approximately $3,500 was raised through a combination of sweet corn-pulled pork dinner tickets, raffle tickets, entry fees and amusements.

Participants dined on fresh sweet corn and pulled pork sandwiches and had a chance to douse a deputy sheriff or local police officer in a dunk tank, expend some energy bashing a junked car or trying their luck at golf cart races.

Entertainment was provided by Frank Burr and also by the Smooth Maneuvers Band.

Registration is now underway for the “Son Rock Kids Camp” Vacation Bible School at First Lutheran Church, Belle Plaine.

The camp will run Aug. 4,5 and 6, from 9-11:30 a.m. It is billed as an “outdoor adventure camp” featuring Bible lessons, crafts, recreation, snacks and music.

Transportation will be available, if needed.

Registration forms should be filled out as soon as possible and are available from the church, 444-2849.

It’s “full speed ahead” for the construction of Belle Plaine’s new aquatics center, after the Belle Plaine City Council approved the award of three contracts for the project during its meeting Monday night.

Ricchio, Inc. of Gurnee, IL received the pool construction bid for $807,000. The mechanical contract went to Mechanical, Inc., Freeport, IL, for $489,000 and the general construction contract was awarded to Garling Construction, Belle Plaine, for $786,000. The combined total was below the original engineer’s estimate.

Plans are for construction to begin shortly after the pool closes in August.

The council approved the contracts after meeting with Jeff Heil of Northland Securities in a work session before the regular council meeting. Heil told the council members that the aquatics center would take about 57 percent of the city’s debt capacity. If bonds were also sold for the streetscape project, he said funding would be “tight, but doable.”

Heil suggested that the city seek an indicator rating from Standard and Poor’s rating service to determine what the city’s bonding rating would be. The higher the rating, the more the city could potentially save in interest payments on the sale of the bonds.

The council also discussed matters involving the temporary closing of an ally near the Longfellow Elementary School construction site and an order to remove a family pet that is suspected to be a pit bull.

A petition was presented containing the names of 12 residents who live along an alley that runs parallel to and east of Seventh Avenue. One end of the alley has been closed to prohibit truck traffic from cutting through it. But the residents want it reopened to allow them to access Seventh Avenue in a direct manner from their driveways which open onto the alley. Currently, they must enter and exit the alley from Ninth Avenue on the north end.

A resident of the area, Brian Novak, asked why the alley had to be closed and whether the closure would be permanent. Several councilmen said it was closed because of the safety of the children in the area, particularly with the temporary increase in traffic.

They also said that any consideration of permanently closing it would have to be done by resolution or ordinance at a later time.

Novak also pointed out that snow removal would be more difficult with one end of the alley closed. City Administrator Bill Daily said the public works department would have to find a way to keep the alley clear.

A hearing was held with Mike and Kate Jones, 1704 Ninth Ave. after they were served with a notice to remove their dog from the city limits. Acting on a complaint, police took the dog to two veterinarians to determine the breed. One indicated that the dog was a Staffordshire terrier, while the other was not sure.

Pit bulls are not allowed in the city limits, nor are they allowed in the county.

But Jones had a document from an animal hospital in St. Louis where he purchased the dog indicating that it was an English bulldog/bull terrier mix.

After considerable discussion, councilmen told Jones that while they agreed that there was not 100 percent certainty as to the dog’s breed, they would “err on the side of caution” and let stand the order for removal.

In his report to the council, Daily said he is seeking host families for the 24 Walldog artists who will be in town Sept. 17-20. Anyone who might wish to host one or more artists should contact Daily at City Hall.

During the council’s work session, councilmen discussed the development of an ordinance governing the installation of personal and small commercial wind turbines to generate electricity. Daily said that the technology will soon allow residents to consider installing the wind turbines as a way to cut energy costs and the city should be ready. He offered several ordinances already enacted in other cities for the councilmen to review for possible future action.

The council set Aug. 17, 5 p.m. as its next work session.

Following the rest of the items on the regular meeting agenda, the council went into closed session for Daily’s annual job performance review. When they emerged from the closed session, the council voted to grant Daily a 3.2 percent wage increase, which is in line with the raises earlier granted to other city employees.

We’re in the final month of summer before the start of the new school year, but there are still happenings in and around Belle Plaine this week.

Tonight (Monday), the Belle Plaine City Council will meet in a work session at 5 p.m., followed by the regular formal meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

On Wednesday, the Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification will meet at 6 p.m. at the Community Center.

Friday, don’t forget the Belle Plaine Farmers’ Market from 5-7 p.m.

There’s a full afternoon of activities planned on Sunday at the Belle Plaine Country Club for the Addison Stamp benefit. The golf tournament begins at 11 a.m., lunch will be served beginning at 2 p.m. and a benefit auction is scheduled for 4 p.m. all proceeds go to the continuing care of two-year-old Addison Stamp, daughter of Josh and Jolene Stamp, Belle Plaine, who suffers from a debilitating illness.