| | 
The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday,
December 20, 2005 | |
Gardner
replaces retiring Zellner
by Latisha Sand |
LATISHA
SAND/Press
Mike Zellner, who is retiring after 23 years of service in Manchester,
is breaking in his replacement, Brad Gardner. Gardner, who started on Monday,
Dec. 12, said he’s got some big shoes to fill but Zellner knows that he will
do fine. | Sgt.
Mike Zellner is retiring after 23 years of service in Manchester.
“It’s
time,” said Zellner. “It’s been 33 years, (10 years as a military
police investigator). It’s time to move out of the way and bring new blood
in.”
The new blood, and Zellner’s replacement, is Officer Brad
Gardner, 36, who is originally from Ottumwa.
“I’ve got big shoes
to fill,” said Gardner but Zellner knows the ‘new guy‘ will do
fine. Gardner came from a part-time position in Monticello
and worked for three and a half years at the Monroe Police Station. |
At
Monroe, Gardner was a part of the Narcotics Staff Force Team and the Sheriff Emergency
Response Team (SERT). He went through three years of schooling at the University
of Northern Iowa and spent four years in the Navy. He served in Desert Storm,
was involved in the Panama incident of 1989 and helped evacuate the American Embassy
in Somalia.
Growing up, his father was an investigator for the county
and a lot of his friends were police officers.
Gardner said it was hanging
around them that made him want to become a policeman.
“I’d like
to make sergeant someday,” said Gardner, “and a firearms instructor,
negotiator and even a D.A.R.E. officer.”
Manchester is a community
that Gardner can see himself retiring in.
“I love it,” he said.
“I get along with everybody. The guys have been very helpful and have all
made me feel welcome.”
Gardner, who has recently bought a house in
Manchester, will be moving to town in March with his wife and two children, a
15-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.
Zellner, who said he’s
been thinking about retiring for about 10 years now, will miss his co-workers
and the children he works with every year in the D.A.R.E. program.
“They
are a great bunch of guys and gals,” said Zellner about his co-workers. “We
(the officers) are all like brothers. There is not a guy here that I wouldn’t
give the shirt off my back.”
Zellner’s official last day is Dec.
31 but, since he’s got vacation coming, he will be leaving on Thursday, Dec.
22.
“I think this will be the first year that I have the week between
Christmas and New Years off,” said Zellner, who usually volunteers for the
Christmas shift so the rest of the officers can spend time with their families.
The
good guy mentality is what the community will miss after Zellner retires, but
he won’t be going far.
After the first of the year, Zellner will be
a substitute bus driver for the schools, he does snow removal for local people
and, in the spring, he may even begin work at the Delaware Conservation Department.
“I’ll
keep myself busy,” said Zellner, who is married with three children ages
39, 26 and 15. “I want to stay active in the community and work with the
kids in some way or another.”
Zellner said his greatest accomplishment
is when the D.A.R.E. program started in Manchester and his best memory is when
Jim Hauschild became a police officer.
“I’m super proud of that
guy,” said Zellner. “It’s like taking your little brother under
your wing.”
Zellner, who was a Staff Sergeant for the Army, said he
wanted to become a cop because, “as a kid when we played cowboys and Indians,
I always wanted to be the sheriff.” That, and his father had a lot of friends
who were police officers.
Zellner wants to thank the community for all
their support.
“I wish the guys (officers) luck,” he said. “I
hope things progress the way they did the last 23 years.” |
 County
mileage rate reduced
by Julie Sunne |
The
County Board of Supervisors followed the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS)
recommendation and reduced the county mileage reimbursement rate from 48-1/2 cents
to 44-1/2 cents at their Dec. 12 meeting. The new rate is effective Jan. 1, 2006.
The
board accepted the treasurer’s investment report. In summary the county has
$3,241,734.40 invested in Delaware County banks.
Delaware County is seeing
a slight increase of taxable utility funds for the fiscal year 2006/2007. The
supervisors approved a resolution to spread the $95, 851,686 on the tax books.
This is $624,218 more than last year.
Transfers of funds to the Secondary
Roads Department were approved in the amount of $18,171.32 from Rural Services
and $2,350.41 from the General Basic fund.
Also, a contract was secured
to allow for the purchase of .05 acres of right of way in reference to the Dubuque
County Recker Road Culvert project. This project lies mostly in Dubuque County,
but some right of way, fencing, and damage payments are Delaware County’s
responsibility. The contract is in the amount of $586.
The board also approved
an agreement to allow for the placement of a weather antenna on the Delaware County
tower. This agreement is in effective for ten years, from Feb. 1, 2006 to Jan.
31, 2016.
In other weather-related business, County Engineer Mark Nahra
shared that the snowy year has taken a toll on county resources. As of Monday,
Dec. 12, he estimates that the county has already gone through at least 600 tons
of salt—and it’s not even winter yet. For the whole year, 2000 tons
of salt is on contract and 500-600 tons was carried over from last year. |
Long
lost county towns not forgotten
by Latisha Sand - Fourth in a Series |
| When
Delaware County became a county in 1840 many people settled in areas where there
was plenty of water and lumber. Many of these little settlements later became
towns and had hotels, taverns, stores and post offices.
When the unstable
market of the railroads came through Delaware County, some towns became memories
while others sprung up almost overnight.
Rockville, a town located in
the North Fork Township, was laid out in 1845 making it the second oldest town
in Delaware County (with Delhi being the first). In it’s day, Rockville was
one of the most important trading points in the county. |
With
a sawmill, a gristmill, flouring mill, blacksmith and stores, it was a town for
gathering, trading and shopping. A log schoolhouse was built in 1843 and rebuilt
with bricks ten years later when the log one burnt down. The
post office was erected in 1846 with Oliver A. Olmstead, the founder of the town,
as postmaster.
A hotel was opened for the travelers of the Western Stage Company
and even Charles W. Hobbs, one of the first settlers in Delhi, relocated to Rockville
in 1850. Hobbs opened up a store and according to editor of the “History
of Delaware County,” Captain John F. Merry “he had the best store in
the town, and was widely and popularly known.”
However, many more
towns were prospering and developing and the Dubuque and Pacific railroad was
building rails in the newly formed town of Dyersville. As Delhi and Dyersville
grew, Rockville declined.
Another town that diminished from the railroads
was Almoral. James H. Kasson formed this town, located in the Oneida Township,
in 1857. The school was open the same year by Abbie E. Dunham and was held in
a log cabin. The post office was also opened. According to Belle Bailey, author
of “A Three Volume History of Delaware County,” a local rumor is that
the name of the town was supposed to be Balmoral, after the English Royal Castle,
but the first postmaster, F.W. Dunham, didn’t like making the capital “B”
so changed the name to Almoral.
In September of 1858, people of the settlement
incorporated the Almoral Institute. A frame building, measuring 24 x 30 feet,
was constructed and opened. The institute had 20 students but it closed in 1860.
The Almoral Congregational Church then took over the building.
The town
was perhaps most famous for the first brass band in Delaware County, which was
formed in 1858. This band appeared in many different national areas including
playing for the Lincoln presidential campaign in 1860. The band separated when
the members enlisted in the Civil War.
A creamery was started in 1876 and
operated for a long time, but after the railroad failed to run through Almoral,
the town’s population declined.
Although Rockville and Almoral, along
with Sand Springs, declined because of the railroads, many little towns sprang
up because of them.
Two towns within the Adams Township were Robinson and
Ehler. Ehler, a small station on the Illinois Central Railroad, was developed
around 1888. Robinson, which developed in 1912, had several businesses. A bank,
two general stores, a hardwood store, a blacksmith shop, harness shop, restaurant,
barber shop, a pool hall, an elevator, lumber yard and even a newspaper were all
located in Robinson. The post office was incorporated in 1913 and was run by Mary
Irene Robinson. After the railroad moved out of Robinson, the only thing left
was a general store that closed down in 1975.
Oneida, located in the Oneida
Township, was settled in 1896 and was a stop on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St.
Paul Railroad and the Chicago Great Western Railroad. The town had general stores,
a post office, creameries and even a stock company.
Some towns in Delaware
County, such as York, Forestville, Delaware Center, Millheim and Hartwick, became
ghost towns because the settlers moved on.
Hartwick, a town located at
the bottom of Lake Delhi, was founded in 1853 by John W. Clark.
Clark opened
up a flouring mill, general store and tavern and soon a blacksmith shop, brickyard
and paint shop were built to accommodate the settlers. But by 1858, the town’s
settlers moved on and so did the founder.
The towns of York, Forestville,
Delaware Center and Millheim, or Dutchtown as it was known, just contained schoolhouses,
post offices, creameries and a couple general stores. Many of the residents were
travelers, but in Millheim there was a tannery and glove factory.
These
towns were all important in their own right and time. They were considered popular
stops for stagecoach and/or train travelers. Many of these towns still contain
a few homes and businesses to mark the history of booming times. Although they
are long gone, the towns and their founders will never be forgotten. |
Student
safety is priority at WD
by Julie Sunne |
Following
a confusing, and for some parents, frustrating school morning last Friday, Dec.
9, the West Delaware Community School District is looking at what, if anything
could have been done differently.
That morning, despite some overnight
snowfall, it was decided that the school buses could run safely and on time. After
some of the students were already picked up the weather worsened, fog developed,
and school was delayed 90 minutes. A short while later, school was cancelled for
the day, but not before some buses brought students to school. The students were
then returned home.
Unfortunately, some parents were already at work or gone
for the day.
According to West Delaware Superintendent Rick Hilbert if
the same circumstances arose again, the district would do everything exactly the
same way, except bus students home right away.
“If the kids are on
the bus and fog comes in, we will not return them home,” said Hilbert. “They
will be taken to a center.”
The students would then be bussed home
after the weather cleared or their parents could come and get them.
Hilbert
finds the decision on whether or not to send out the buses much easier when it’s
just snow because there is usually advanced warning and it develops over a longer
period of time. Fog can come on very quickly, is less predictable, and can be
very spotty.
Friday was a prime example of the difficulty of dealing with
fog. The fog developed suddenly, over a twenty minute time period, and was mainly
south of Manchester.
School policy on running the buses is that there needs
to be one-tenth of a mile visibility before they can stop for students. Hilbert
said the policy is centered on the safety of the students.
“We may
inconvenience some people, but keeping kids safe is the priority,” he stated,
then added, “We know some parents have to work, but they need to have an
alternative for their kids.”
Hilbert said that this is the first time
he has seen it happen this exact way in 34-1/2 years. Hopefully, it will be that
long again before it occurs a second time. |
Aquatic
Center to get new child’s slide
by Brian Cook |
 | The
Manchester City Council at its meeting on Dec. 12, gave Ben Page of the Parks
and Rec. Department approval to purchase a new child’s slide for the Aquatic
Center.
The new slide, which will costs $13,500 and be installed by City
of Manchester employees, will replace a foam slide, which is failing. Chemicals
from the pool have attacked the foam causing it to crack, exposing the metal frame
underneath which has rusted.
The new slide will be 100 percent fiberglass.
Page said the slide, which is shaped like a polar bear, comes with a two-year
warranty. |
He
said the new slide would need to be taken about every 10 years to a body shop
for maintenance and repair.
The Park and Rec. Commission chose the polar
bear design with the help of its Teen Advisory Board.
The new slide will sit
in the same place as the old slide, which already has the plumbing for the water.
Page
also told the council that the low bid for painting the pool was $28,000. He explained
that painting the pool’s walls is something that needs to be done about every
seven years. As time goes by, the new coats of paint last longer than the original.
The pool opened in 1997.
The painting will start when the weather allows
this spring. The process will include a power wash, acid wash then a brush blasting
before applying two coats of paint. That does not include caulking, which at four
dollars per foot will add another $7-8,000 to the cost.
Page also encouraged
everyone to consider a family pass to the pool as a last minute Christmas gift.
Season rates will stay the same this year at $55 for a single and $115 for a family
for the 2006 season.
Daily rates will be simplified in 2006. Children 0-3
years old will be charged $1.50 per day, and everyone else will be charged $3
per day.
Over 30,000 people used the Manchester pool in 2005, and Page
said one-third of that revenue generated was from outside the community. A record
40,199 people used the pool during its first full season in 1998. |
109
E. Delaware - P.O. Box C - Manchester, Iowa 52057
563-927-2020 / FAX 563-927-4945
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Manchester Press 2005
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