By: Jessica Landuyt

Summer has come to an end and a new school year has begun. With a new school year comes some big changes for Belle Plaine High School. The additions to the high school and Longfellow, new students coming in, and the 2010 senior class finishing up their last year just to name a few. The big question is…are the seniors ready to make the next step?

Each year there is a new senior class and each senior has plans and decisions to make. One of the biggest things seniors should worry about is their grades. Seniors may be ready to get out of here, but they still need to study hard and keep grades up. Next seniors want to make sure to have all your required credits and all classes passed. To graduate from Belle Plaine High School each senior is required to have 47 credits.

Some extra things seniors should make sure they do are volunteer work, job shadows, and fill-out scholarships. Volunteer work and job shadows are two ways to build character, meet new people, and accentuate your resume. The most important decision to make is the decision to further your education, go into the military or go straight into workforce. Deciding to attend college will also involve choosing a program of study.  Not only should seniors fill-out scholarships they should also fill-out the FAFSA forms for financial aid, which will help with tuition, room and board, and books. Seniors should make regular contacts with the school counselor, or check the Belle Plaine Schools website for any and all scholarships that may apply to an individual.  It is the senior’s responsibility to fill out the paperwork and get it in on time.  In the fall is when college applications should be completed and sent.  Each senior should choose at least three colleges to apply to.

Senior year can be a stressful time for a student in high school, but the one thing to keep in mind while going through your senior year is to always have responsible fun while planning your future.

The 2009-2010 school year is off to a tremendous start!  As always, each edition of “Daily News from the Counseling Office” hopes to establish a system of communication from our high school to your homes.  Important dates, deadlines, and opportunities will be spotlighted in this column.  Please encourage your Plainsman student to seize every chance available to make the most of his/her experience in our school district.  This column is especially important to our upperclassmen—mainly the seniors!  As these Plainsmen embark on the final phase of their educational journey in Belle Plaine, they need to be proactive as they strive to accomplish their goals.  It is essential for them to stay organized and informed.  One of the key sources of information is the Daily Bulletin that is read to the students during first period each day; a copy is available outside the office door, in the cafeteria, and online.  Pay particularly close attention to scholarship and post-secondary information.  Last May the Plainsmen received over $120,000 in scholarships from our community and the surrounding areas—we challenge the Class of 2010 to surpass their excellence!

COLLEGE VISITS. Seniors are allotted two college visits.  Both of these must be taken before May 1^st.  Both visits must be scheduled through Miss Daily in the counseling office.  See Miss Daily for the necessary paperwork.

COLLEGE REP’S VISIT BPHS. When college rep’s come to our BP campus, juniors and seniors can take advantage of the opportunity to speak with them!  Come prepared with questions and make the most of your time to chat.  You must have a pass from the office and approval from your teacher(s) to visit with a representative.  Recent visitors to BPHS included Iowa Central, Indian Hills Community College, Coe, and the University of Northern Iowa.

PSEO CLASSES THROUGH KIRKWOOD. If you’re taking a Kirkwood PSEO class, make sure you’re adhering to all course deadlines and requirements.  Remember, it’s FREE college credit if you PASS!  This is also the beginning of your official college transcript.  Take this responsibility seriously.  See Miss Daily if you have questions—you are an independent college student when taking a PSEO class!

SILVER CORD HOURS. Leave this world better than you found it!  Donate your time and talents to your community.   Seniors who achieve the designated number of service hours (160 hours!) are honored at graduation and wear Silver Cords.  We recommend not waiting until your senior year to accumulate hours.  Miss Daily advertises many opportunities through the daily bulletin.  Here’s what’s been offered so far:

Habitat for Humanity.  Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and complete a simple application.  Many different “hands on” talents are needed to construct this new home in Belle Plaine.  See Miss Daily for more information.

Community Luncheons.  The First Congregational Church hosts a community luncheon every Saturday from 11:30-12:30.  They would like two students to work from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the day of each meal.  Sign up sheets are available in Miss Daily’s office.

JOB SHADOWING. All sophomores, juniors and seniors attended a meeting with Keith from the Work Place Learning Connection on Wednesday, September 9^th.  He thoroughly described this great opportunity for students to explore potential future careers and network with area professionals.  Last year BPHS students participated in 58 different job shadowing experiences!  Remember—students must provide their own transportation to and from the experience.

COLLEGE & SCHOLARSHIP NEWS

EASTERN IOWA COLLEGE FAIR. All BPHS seniors will venture to Kirkwood’s campus for the Eastern Iowa College Fair on Wednesday, September 23^rd.  Stay tuned for more information!

Marquette University has won a $900,000 National Science Foundation Grant to recruit & educate 24 students who want to become math and/or science teachers.  Check out all there is to offer at this university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Consider attending Iowa’s Largest College Fair in Des Moines on Sunday, October 4^th from 12:30-3:00 p.m.  Over 150 colleges will be represented.

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY invites seniors to the Admissions Information Session in Iowa City on Wednesday, Sept. 23^rd from 7:00-8:00 p.m.   See Miss Daily for more information.

If you’re a junior that’s been invited to take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 14^th, check out the National Merit Scholarship Program posters on the cafeteria doors.  Go to www.nationmerit.org for more information.  Remember—you must pay Miss Daily your $13 to take the exam!!!!

WENDY’S HIGH SCHOOL HEISMAN.  If you’re a senior with a B average and out for at least one sport, apply for the 2009 Wendy’s High School Heisman.  Visit www.wendysheisman.com for more info & to apply. The first 41,000 applicants receive a FREE Wendy’s gift card.  Be sure to list Miss Daily as your school contact when applying.

QUESTBRIDGE National College Match is designed to help high-achieving low-income students attend top-tier colleges on full scholarships.  College Match scholarships cover tuition, room, and board, worth up to $200,000.  Go to www.questbridge.org for more information.  Applications are due September 30^th.

UNI COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION invites high school seniors who plan on majoring in business at the University of Northern Iowa to attend CBA Freshman Scholarship Day on Monday, November 16^th.  You must have both ACT math and ACT composite scores of 27 or higher.  You can find more information at www.uni.edu/finaid.

DANFORTH SCHOLARS PROGRAM.  If you’re interested in attending Washington University in St. Louis, see Miss Daily for scholarship information.

PLAINSMAN PRAISE GOES TO…

…The seven seniors (Laura Breja, Bryce Buckley, Katie Chilcote, Jack O’Brien, Taylor Schafbuch, Mitch Schmuecker, and Nichole Tatge) and three juniors (Danielle Coover, Abby Lohf, and Andrea Lohf) who have accepted the challenge of taking the first-ever Advanced Placement courses at BPHS.  It is extremely impressive that you have chosen to accept the challenge offered by these rigorous courses from Mr. Tegeler and Mr. Dahlquist!

…The 14 students who are Academic Mentors this semester.  They devote this semester to serving as role models and helpers in the elementary and junior high classrooms.  This includes:  Holly Brown, Tony Jones, Lauren Kurovski, Brittany Uhl, Brian Crow, Chris Janss, Brandon Viall, Jessica Landuyt, Bailey Gorsch, Breanna Janss, Kellie Freeman, Bridgette Schminke and Megan Toney.

By Dennis D. Phelps

The current theme for the Belle Plaine Community School District during the 2009-2010 school year is entitled “Raising the Bar.”  Our goal at Belle Plaine is to celebrate success in all areas of school life which would include: 1) academic achievements 2) extra-curricular activities 3) social growth 4) community service 5) other areas in and out of a school day.

An academic assembly was held on Friday, September 4th at the end of the school day to acknowledge publicly and with a Certificate of Achievement to students who:

1)      Increased their grade point by .3 or greater from the first semester to the second semester of the 2008-2009 school year.

2)      Second semester grade point between 3.00-3.24

3)      Second semester grade point between 3.25-3.49

4)      Second semester grade point between 3.50-3.74

5)      Second semester grade point between 3.75-4.00

Also honored was any student with perfect attendance during the 2008-2009 school year.  A great number of students were honored on this afternoon.  A picture of each group of students was taken and will be placed on the wall in the lobby above the gym to promote the positive achievements in our academic endeavors.

Thank you for Raising the Bar.

Increase GPA 3.0-3.24- Congratulations to the following students for raising their GPA:  Lauren Kurovski, Ariel Hawkins, Emily Hohn, Brayden Morrow, Joy Cronbaugh, Danielle Coover, and Meghan Miller.  Not pictured Jon Drahos

Increase GPA 3.5-3.749- Congratulations to the following students: Top Row- Scott Henhouse, Zach Griffith, and Laura Johnson.  Bottom Row- Andrew O’Brien, Jacob Miller, Curry Drahos, Bryce Buckley, and Laura Breja

Increase GPA 3.25-3.449-Congratulations to the following students:  Top Row- Logan Baburek, Blake Chekal, Allie Upah, Connor Roth, Behre Bartlett, and Darrian Conway.  Bottom Row- Cody Trealoff, Jack O’Brien, Seivon Steward, Mitch Schmuecker, Bridgette Schminke, and Katie Chilcote

The Belle Plaine Community Library continues to be a valuable resource, especially in tough economic times. That was the summary of a report on activity in the past fiscal year by Director Kristi Sorensen to the Belle Plaine City Council this week.

She submitted several statistics pertaining to library operation during the past fiscal year, including a circulation of 30,285, which was up from last year’s 27,881. Volunteers worked 307 hours during the year, the library was open 306 days and averaged 86 patron visits per day. There were 251 new patrons this past year.

Other services provided by the library included 12 non-library ICN classes held with 24 in attendance, seven library ICN classes with 15 in attendance, eight non-library sessions in the Tippie Room with 252 in attendance, 72 library sessions in the Tippie Room with 1,118 in attendance, an average of 29 computer sessions per day, not including wireless access. Belle Plaine patrons made 61 material requests through the local library from other sites and 166 other sites made requests of materials from the Belle Plaine site. The reader printer got a workout this past year, with 67 people viewing 125 microfilms. There were 613 references done by staff.

Two of the major additions to the library during the year was the acquisition of a new copy machine with scanner and color printing capabilities and the installation of wireless access, allowing patrons to gain internet access with their own laptop computers inside and outside the library building. A new people counter was installed, repairs and painting were made at two entrances, new chairs were placed in the computer lab and Windows 2007 was installed on the computers.

The library received several grants during the year, including a Mansfield grant which will enable the library catalogue to be put on line to allow patrons to see what’s available at the library via the internet. A Lincolnway grant of $450 was received and MidWestOne and Chelsea Savings Banks gave grants for magazine subscriptions.

Activities at the library during the past year included two book sales, story time for 18 month through three-year-olds, hosting lunch with Santa, the fourth annual walk/run event hosted by the teens, summer programs for teens, elementary kids, preschoolers and adults, Scholastic book fair, evening book club, showed movies for kids during school early dismissal days, program for free tax assistance, three family night activities with the school, continued participation in a program to allow patrons to download books on their MP3 players or CDs, continued development of the library web site and Facebook and blogging availabilities, worked with the school on an author visit and with the county library association on another author visit, worked with the schools on a junior high writing contest, first grade coloring contest and book clubs for talented and gifted students in the upper elementary level. The library opened early for visits by RAGBRAI riders.

Sorensen also presented a report showing increases in eight of nine circulation areas from 200 to 2008. Computer use went from an average of 84 per week to 220. Other figures, with the 2000 figure listed first included: adult books, 8,962 to 13,062; audio recordings, 1,173 to 967; children’s books, 7,139 to 7,475; periodicals, 1,895 to 1,913; video recordings, 4,278 to 6,175; Belle Plaine circulation, 17,840 to 20,843; rural circulation from the county, 2,993 to 3,112 and total circulation, 24,097 to 29,855.

Evelyn M. Kaplan, 77, of Victor, died Monday, September 21, 2009 at Marengo Memorial Hospital following a long illness.  Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at the Hrabak Funeral Home in Belle Plaine by Rev. Charles Johnson.  Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Belle Plaine.  Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

She is survived by: her husband, Louis; son, Dale (Shelly) of Belle Plaine; daughters, Linda (Reggie) Dietze, Kathy Kaplan and Sue (Dave) McConnell, all of Victor; brother, Floyd (Sara) Benda of Missouri; fifteen grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.hrabakfuneralhome.com under “obituaries.”

Now is the time for people to get a flu shot, especially if they want to also receive the recently approved H1N1 (often called swine flu) vaccine.

Deb Mescher, PA-C of the Belle Plaine Family Medicine Clinic, said she has been informed that all of the clinics in the St. Luke’s Physician and Clinics system in Benton County will be getting the H1N1 vaccine, possibly as early as October. But those who customarily have received the other flu vaccine and wish to be protected against this new strain must get their regular flu shot at least 28 days before receiving the H1N1 shot.

Mescher said final guidelines for the distribution of the H1N1 vaccine have not been established. She also said it is very likely that at least one person in the area has the H1N1 virus. Lab tests are needed to determine which strain is infecting the patient and she said that officials from one lab she consulted indicated that many of the test samples they have received from various places have indicated the new strain.

Officials with the University of Iowa Family Care Clinic in Belle Plaine stated late last week that it was uncertain whether and when that clinic would be receiving the H1N1 vaccine.

Health professionals say that many groups of people should receive flu vaccine annually. People with asthma, people with chronic diseases of the lungs, heart or kidneys, people older than 50, pregnant women and children between the ages of six months and 18 years should be vaccinated, as well as healthcare workers and other caregivers and their family members.

Children under the age of nine who have never received an influenze vaccine require two doses. If a child is under nine years old and was immunized for the first time last year and only received one dose, he requires two doses this season.

According to WebMD.com, some of the classic flu symptoms include a fever of 100-102 degrees that lasts 3-4 days, headache, general aches and pains, fatigue and weakness, extreme exhaustion, chest discomfort and cough.

In extreme cases, complications could include bronchitis or pneumonia.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) web site has an extensive list of questions and answers regarding the H1N1 flu strain.

The following are the second week results for the Belle Plaine pro football raffle:

Highest

1^st Place -          112 pts.            $250     Anedra Sherwood

1^st Place-           112 pts.            $250     Dennis Glynn

1^st Place-           112 pts.            $250     Todd Vlasek

4^th Place-           110 pts.            $ 55      Gene Upah

4^th Place-           110 pts.            $ 55      Jessica Stamp

6^th Place-           109 pts.            $ 40      Julie Mantz

7^th Place-           108 pts.            $ 32.50 Todd Parsons

7^th Place-           108 pts.            $ 32.50 Greg Carolan

8^th Place-           106 pts.            $  4.16  Janice Grace

8^th Place-           106 pts.            $  4.16  Robert Blosch

8^th Place-           106 pts.            $  4.16  Mike Merchant

8^th Place-           106 pts.            $  4.16  Victoria Blount

8^th Place-           106 pts.            $  4.16  Robert Bills

8^th Place-           106 pts.            $  4.16  Diane Formanek

Lowest

1^st Place-           29 pts.             $ 15      Wally Woodson

1^st Place-           29 pts.             $ 15      Jim White

1^st Place-           29 pts.             $ 15      Karen Johnson

Belle Plaine runners placed first in a two-team girls and third in the boys’ conference cross country meet last week at English Valleys.

Traditionally, the SICL Conference Championship is determined by conference teams results at the English Valleys meet. This year, there were four teams in the girls’s varsity field. Belle Plaine came out on top with 65 points, followed by Iowa Mennonite, 86; Clear Creek-Amana, 101 and the other SICL school, Sigourney, 150.

For Belle Plaine, Taylor Schafbuch was third in the 39-runner field. Savanna Buch was ninth, Julie Long, 20^th, Dani Coover, 22^nd and Dani Chilcote, 28^th.

Nine teams competed in the varsity boys’ race and Belle Plaine finished fourth overall and third among SICL Conference schools. IMS was the overall winner with just 31 points, with SICL Conference schools in the next four spots: Keota, 72; Lynnville-Sully, 100; Belle Plaine, 124 and BGM, 124.

Jack O’Brien was the top local finisher. He placed 12^th and gained second team all-conference honors. Mitch Jacobi was 24^th in the 68-runner field and took all-conference honorable mention. Other Plainsman finishers included Zak Buch, 26^th; Brian Carlson, 29^th; Scott Croft, 33^rd; Stephen Muench, 40^th and Matt O’Brien, 42^nd.

“We ran well,” Coach Mark Tegeler said. “We still have a great deal of improvement to make, but we’re working hard and we keep improving.”

Austin Yilek brought home first place in the boys’ JV race. Kurtis Ospichak was 13^th, Tad Mast took 14^th, Dillon McGrane was 16^th and Nick Baker was 20^th.

Marvin Kucera will present a program on his memories of Chelsea on Sunday at the Belle Plaine Area Museum beginning at 2 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

Three businessmen, a judge, college professor and a longtime community volunteer make up the 2007 class of inductees in the Belle Plaine Hall of Fame.

Saturday afternoon, Milton Mansfield, Frank Silkebaken, Gene Severson, Isabelle Severson, Harold Swailes and James Crider were inducted at the Belle Plaine Area Museum.

Mansfield was born in Centerville in 1870. During his early years, he was involved in farming in Nebraska. By 1927, he had retired from farming and had begun a career in theater ownership. He moved to Belle Plaine in 1927 and in 1930, he built the King Theatre, King One Stop and the Belle Plaine Sale Barn and the King Towers near Tama.

The family established the Mansfield Trust which continues to provide grants to many area organizations today.

Gene Severson was born in 1921 on a farm near Kanawha. After graduation from Kanawha High School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp Reserve Pilot Training Program and was called to active duty. After his service, he enrolled at Upper Iowa University, where he met his future wife, Isabelle. Later he graduated from Iowa State College with a degree in animal science and agronomy.

Following college, he taught vocational agriculture for a time in Garner and Sac City, before moving on to a business career, which eventually led him and his wife to Belle Plaine in 1967, where he became general manager and a minor partner in Froning Elevators.

Severson has had a long career in community service. He was a member of the Belle Plaine City Council, the first ambulance board, the development commission, the medical center board, airport commission and served on the board of directors of Citizen State, Citizen Bank and Midwest Bank for 33 years. He served as president of the Iowa Grain and Feed Association and testified before Congress.

Today, he serves as an elder in his church, is resident advocacy committee chairman for Belle Plaine Nursing and Rehab, is a member of the beautification committee, Rotary Club and other volunteer activities.

Isabelle Severson was born in Clermont in 1928. She sang in the church choir and taught Sunday School in Sac City and later in Waverly, where she also led the children’s devotion, directed the adult church choir and worked part-time as church secretary. She also led a Cub Scout troop and worked with the Girl Scouts.

When the family moved to Belle Plaine, Isabelle jumped right into volunteer work and also worked for Funks Seed Company in charge of seed inventory for several years and then as bookkeeper for Bevins Ford and part-time, as needed, by the elevator.

She has served in several church offices for Women in Mission on the local and district level, sings in the church choir, has served on the church council, board of social ministry, director of Lutheran Family Service Group Home and has also served on the Benton County Mental Health Board and as a mentor to challenged students. She has also volunteered at area nursing homes, helping with resident activities.

Harold Swailes was born in Rome in Henry County in 1921. After graduation from Keosauqua High School, he enlisted in the Navy and served aboard ship in communications in the Pacific Theater during World War II. While still in the Navy, he attended school at St. Ambrose College in Davenport and later at the University of New Mexico. He was discharged from the Navy in 1945 due to bad lung problems and returned to Iowa, where he graduated from the University of Iowa School of Law in 1947.

That same year, he married Jeane Newland and began a law practice in Belle Plaine. Twenty years later, he was appointed to the Sixth District Judicial Bench and retired in 1995. His first wife died in 1991 and in 1996, he married Patsy, whose first husband had died the week after Jean Swailes died.

James Crider was born in 1920 and grew up around Belle Plaine. After high school, he completed a course in cosmetology, then earned a degree at Cornell College, Mount Vernon. Later, he earned a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in theater arts.

During World War II, he was selected to attend the classified Defense Language School at the University of Minnesota to study Japanese language and culture in preparation for the end of the war. He served as a linguist in Japan until 1947 and was then recalled into active duty during the Korean War as an intelligence officer, finishing with a permanent rank of major.

He was married for nearly 60 years to his language teacher, Sensei Lilyan Inana, who died just a few months shy of their anniversary. They had two children, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild is expected in January.

In 1952, he began a 30-year career as an instructor of drama with special emphasis on costuming at the University of Washington’s School of Drama. During his active years, he designed and costumed 700 stage productions in the Seattle area, as well as in Syracuse, NY and St. Paul, MN.

Frank Silkebaken was born in 1920 in Dallas Center. He attended Simpson College and Drake University, then enlisted in the Army Air Corp. He later served as an officer, stationed in England during World War II. After the war, he began a career as a sales representative for Goodyear Tire & Rubber, assigned to a territory based in Oelwein, then later to a territory based in Cedar Rapids, which also included Belle Plaine. After being called back into service during the Korean Conflict, he returned to the tire company and worked in Terre Haute, IN. for a time.

In 1955, he left the company and bought an oil company in Belle Plaine, starting a 33-year career in that business which included ownership of two local stations, gasoline supplier for 12 convenience stores and development of a truck stop along Interstate 80 at Highway 21. From 1975-77, he was president of the Iowa Oil Jobbers Association. During his time in Belle Plaine, he has been a member of the United Methodist Church, a member and past president of the Rotary Club and the American Legion. He also served on the Belle Plaine City Council and was a member of the airport commission during the construction of the city’s airport and industrial park.

He and his wife, Charlotte, have a son and three daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.