The first full week of September is a short work week for a lot of us. But the rest of next week is full of activities.

First of all, a reminder that due to the Labor Day holiday, there will be no school, no home mail delivery and city hall will be closed.

On Tuesday, the Main Street Design committee is scheduled to meet at 5:15 p.m. The Belle Plaine City Council meets at 6 p.m. at city hall.

On Friday, preschool story time will be held at the Belle Plaine Public Library. Flag football is set for 3:30 p.m. Friday and the YSF football squad will open its season at home against HLV on Sunday at the high school, starting at 1 p.m.

On the school calendar for next week, the cross country team travels to Keota and the JV football team plays at BGM. On Thursday, the high school volleyball squad hosts BGM. On Friday, the Plainsman football team travels to Lisbon and on Saturday, the cross country team will be in action at Benton Community.

Have a safe and sane holiday weekend. Go Plainsmen! Go Hawks! Congratulations Cyclones!

Fontana Park will be the site for “Gospel on the Greens” on Sunday, Sept. 12. The outdoor gospel music concert is sponsored by Christ United Methodist Church. It begins at 3 p.m. In lower Franklin Park.

The event will feature local talent The Flat Bottom Boys, Mussman Productions, Pastor Pete, Harmonica Paul and Chelsea’s Ray Hines. The headliners will be The Ragamuffins and 21^st Century Vocals.

Audience members are urged to bring their law chairs and be prepared for an afternoon of family entertainment. Admission will be a free will offering, with proceeds going to the local food bank.

Starting today (Wednesday) through May 31, residents may legally burn yard waste seven days a week from 4-9 p.m.

CITY OF BELLE PLAINE

IS ACCEPTING SEALED BIDS

FOR THE SALE

OF

1994 FORD F250 PICKUP

2WD, NEWER TIRES, BED LINER, 125K MILES

VIEW AT CITY SHED 806 3^RD AVENUE

BID DEADLINE:  MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20^TH

5:00 P.M., CITY HALL

CITY HAS THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT OR REJECT

ANY OR ALL BIDS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

PHONE 319-444-2407

August 25, 10:10 a.m. – A stray dog was reported in the 700 block of Ninth Avenue. Eric Doty, Belle Plaine, was cited for allowing his dog to run at large.

August 26, 6:50 a.m. – An attempted burglary was reported at 1005 Eighth Avenue, where a screen had been pried off a window.

August 26, 2:49 p.m. – Colleen Stanerson, Belle Plaine, was arrested at 1309 Seventh Avenue on an outstanding warrant from Iowa County for failure to appear. She was turned over to the Iowa County Sheriff’s Department.

August 29, 1:26 a.m. – No charges were filed as a result of a domestic disturbance at 902 Sixth Avenue.

August 29, 6:48 p.m. – Phone harassment was reported at 510 13^th Street.

August 29, 10:25 p.m. – Reckless driving in the parking lot was reported in the 900 block of First Street. Officers were unable to locate anyone.

August 30, 9:28 a.m. – No arrests were made as the result of a report of a domestic disturbance at 510 13^th Street.

August 30, 11:20 a.m. – Alan Dvorak reported someone had driven through his properties in the 800 block of Sixth Avenue. Anyone who may have witnessed this should contact the Belle Plaine Police Department.

August 30, 11:45 a.m.- Ambulance assist at the Belle Plaine Bowl.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The first full week of the school year means a return to plenty of activities this week. The JV football team travels to HLV tonight at 6 p.m. This is a change from the activity calendar.

Tuesday, the cross country teams are set to travel to IMS for a meet starting at 5 p.m.

The ninth and tenth grade volleyball teams will be in action Tuesday at BGM with Montezuma, starting at 6 p.m. This is a change from the activity calendar.

On Friday, the Plainsman football squad will host Lone Tree for a Parents’ Night contest starting at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, the varsity volleyball squad swings into action at North Tama, starting at 9 a.m.

As a reminder, due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 6, the Belle Plaine City Council will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Belle Plaine will be the site of one of two Women to Leadership Conferfences in September. The conference will be held Sept. 18, with registration from 9-9:30 a.m. and the conference scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Belle Plaine Community Center. A second conference will be held at the Muscatine Hotel Ballroom on Oct. 16.

Rep. Dawn Pettengill (R-Mount Auburn) was challenged last year during debate on the gender balance bill.  “Mandates aren’t the way to go.  Skill development, mentoring and networking are the real solutions and I will do something to address the need that way.” says Pettengill.

In 2009, Pettengill and her Steering Committee hosted the first W2L Women to Leadership Conference.  The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Conference topics include leadership development, media relations, image, balance and social networking.  Numerous speakers, panels and skill presentations are on the agenda, with women leaders from all areas of the state confirmed to attend.  There will be many opportunities to network.

Participants are encouraged to bring materials for their particular business or interest to share at those times.

Sponsors of the events are the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and multiple businesses and organizations, who are participating and donating to door prizes and gift bags.  “The events have received great support from the community and amazingly, this year, we are taking it on the road all the way to the Mississippi,” said Pettengill.  “I am committed to helping all people be engaged and successful, not only women. This is a commitment everyone can get behind.”

The conference fee is $25.00 and includes the conference materials and a gourmet lunch provided by Divine Decadents, Shellsburg.  For conference registration, you can send your name, address, phone, email, number of participants and conference fee to W2L, PO Box A, Mount Auburn, IA 52313 by September 10, 2010.  If you have questions, you can contact Dawn at 319-610-3412 or dawnpettengill@gmail.com.

Belle Plaine City Administrator Bill Daily attended “Rhythms of Revitalization”, the 24^th annual Iowa Downtown Summit held August 24 and 25 in Davenport.

During the summit, prominent downtown development experts from across the U.S. provided training sessions designed to help attendees acquire practical information and ideas, and learn strategies for historic preservation-based commercial district revitalization that is relevant to rural, mid-sized and urban communities.

Daily attended sessions on marketing and child friendly downtowns presented by national, Midwest, and local experts in downtown development.  Daily was also a guest presenter on Re-inventing Your Downtown in relation to Belle Plaine’s pending Façade Master Plan Project.

“Iowa has been at the forefront of the move to revitalize city cores as cultural and entertainment hubs and retail centers,” said IDED Director Bret Mills. “This year’s summit gave city officials, economic development professionals and others with a stake in downtown revitalization a chance to share their best ideas and success stories necessary to move Iowa forward.”

“I have been attending the Downtown Summit for five years now and I must say that it is the best conference I have found in relation to downtown revitalization.  It certainly was an honor to be invited to share with people from across the state the efforts and accomplishments that Belle Plaine has achieved over the last many years.  This Summit gives me the opportunity to continue to build a network of professional resources that can assists us with our downtown revitalization efforts.  I would encourage anyone that has a sincere interest in downtown to take advantage of this opportunity and attend the Summit, it’s open to all,” stated Daily.

The Summit was sponsored by Iowa Department of Economic Development’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center (IDRC), and the Federal Home Loan Bank, Des Moines, with additional conference contributions provided by MidAmerican Energy.

The IDRC coordinates the Main Street Iowa program, provides fee-based services to all Iowa communities, and has an extensive resource library on downtown revitalization tools and techniques.  For more information, visit www.iowalifechanging.com/community, e-mail downtown@iowa.gov, or call 515.725.3058.

As many as 60 vintage vehicles will make a stop in Belle Plaine Saturday morning during the third annual Iowa Lincoln Highway Association River to River Motor Tour. The group will leave Cedar Rapids Saturday morning, stop at the Youngville Café and then travel on to Belle Plaine, where they are scheduled to stop at Preston’s Garage.

The group then travels west on to State Center for a lunch stop. The final destination is the Loess Hills area.

August 17, 2:20 p.m. – Police assisted the fire department with a power line on fire at 1512 Seventh Avenue.

August 17, 2:25 p.m. – Officers responded to Highway 21, a half-mile north of the city, on a report of an injured deer. The animal was euthanized.

August 17, 7 p.m. – Police responded to 1540 15^th Street on a trespassing complaint. No charges were filed.

August 17, 7:32 p.m. – Steven Rethman, 25, Belle Plaine, was arrested following a traffic stop in the 500 block of 13^th Street and charged with driving while under suspension. He was taken to the Benton County Jail.

August 18, 5:30 p.m. – A hit and run accident was reported at 1906 Tenth Avenue. A 2009 Chevy Malibu, owned by Greg Prather, Victor, was sideswiped as it was parked in front of the residence. Damage to the driver’s side door was estimated to be under $1,500.

August 18, 7:30 p.m. – Jeanne Brandt, Luzerne, was bitten by a dog while walking in the 1000 block of 13^th Avenue. The dog, owned by Ed and Nancy Landuyt, was quarantined and the owners were ordered to remove it from the city.

August 18, 11:55 p.m. – Officers responded to 504 Tenth Street on a report of someone knocking on the door and windows of the residence. No one was located.

August 19, 5:29 p.m. – Joseph Hanzelka, 18, Belle Plaine, was arrested on a warrant after he allegedly assaulted Jared Nemmers, 18, also of Belle Plaine. Hanzelka was taken to the Benton County Jail.

August 19, 7:45 p.m. – Steven Rethman, 1502 Third Avenue complained of harassment.

August 19, 9:20 p.m. – A stray dog was reported in the 900 block of Eighth Avenue. The owners of the dog were warned.

August 19, 10:15 p.m. – Ambulance assist in the 1500 block of Second Avenue.

August 22, 2 a.m. – Danielle Bance, 26, Belle Plaine, was arrested on an Iowa County warrant and turned over to Iowa County authorities.

August 22, 11 a.m. – Jeff Moore, Iowa City, reported the theft of a storage trailer from the Longfellow Elementary School area. The trailer was later recovered in Iowa County.

August 23, 10:32 a.m. – Criminal mischief was reported to the exterior of the building at 11^th Street and Ninth Avenue.

August 23, 2:30 p.m. – Ambulance assist at 1540 15^th Street.

August 24, 6 a.m. – A subject was warned following a complaint of trespassing at 1303 Ninth Avenue. No charges were filed.

August 24, 10:26 a.m. – A loud music complaint was reported at 1407 12^th Avenue. A subject was warned.

Police have arrested Daniel Allen Brodie, 39, Belle Plaine, following an incident on August 15. He was charged with two counts of violation of a protective order, harassment in the third degree and trespassing. He was taken to the Benton County Jail. More charges are pending.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.