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The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday,
September 26, 2006 | |
Sand replaces Cook at Press |
The Manchester Press announced their new News Editor Latisha Sand on Monday, Sept. 25.
Sand, who has been employed at the Press since August 2005 as the assistant editor, replaces Brian Cook.
“I’m really excited to be able to have this opportunity,” said Sand.
Sand, a 2000 North-Linn High School graduate and a 2004 Mount Mercy College graduate, has previously worked at the Monticello Express and the Marion Times.
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MISSI THEDE / Press
Latisha Sand replaced Brian Cook as news editor effective Monday, Sept. 25. She hopes that she can get more faces and local Manchester stories back into the paper. |
“I worked in Monticello while I was still at college,” she said. “I majored in Journalism with a writing minor so it was a great place to put my education into practice.” Sand also worked as a staff writer and graphic designer in Marion.
She grew up and still lives five miles west of Ryan.
“We always came to Manchester for groceries and my first job was in Manchester so I was happy to be back,” Sand said.
The Manchester Press layout and business procedures will not change but Sand hopes that she can get more faces and local Manchester stories back into the paper.
“I love to go out and meet new people and I feel this opportunity will allow me to do more of that,” she said. “We need to focus more on Manchester and what is going on here.”
Other Delaware County communities will not be forgotten, however.
“Brian (Cook) gave the paper a more of a county look and I want to keep that,” said Sand. “But Manchester residents have felt that they have fallen to the way side.”
If anyone has any story ideas, Sand invites people to call her at the office (927-2020) or e-mail her at mpeditor@iowatelecom.net.
“I’ve already felt a great welcome from the community,” said Sand. “It’s a great place to work.” |
E. Main house torn down
by Latisha Sand |
On the chilly, windy morning of Sept. 19, Leureena Minnihan and her youngest son, Christopher, stood on the front porch of their home and watched Randy Harbach take his first hit at the green, turn of the century house that was located at 708 East Main Street in Manchester.
With the machinery roaring and the sound of breaking lumber, Minnihan walked down the stairs onto the sidewalk and took pictures.
“It’s sad but it had to be done,” she said tucking her camera and her cold hands into her sweatshirt pockets.
Pretty soon the entire south east side of the house, except the roof, was gone.
“She’s stubborn,” said Minnihan. “She doesn’t want to let go.”
Several hours later, the only thing left was the stone foundation and debris.
Minnihan’s bought the house in November of 2002 from Ed Schaul. They received appraisals to restore the house for about $90,000 and knew that something else had to be done. They approached Marty Kelzer, the city’s building inspector, to see if they qualified for a type of beautification project.
And with his help, the City of Manchester paid for the demolition costs.
“All houses that fit under this are all houses that are beyond salvageable,” said Kelzer.
Kelzer also mentioned the city prides itself on history and historical houses. |
Top photo, the green, turn of the century home, which was located at 708 East Main Street in Manchester was recently torn down as part of a ‘beautification project.’ Above, before the major clean up began, all that was left was a stone foundation and loose lumber and plaster. |
“It has been a pretty awesome program,” he said. “We’ve done about 50 houses in the last six years.”
The house does have to meet some requirements and often the land, where the house once stood, is sold for another family to rebuild.
The project also includes fixing up homes with LMI (low to moderate income) grant money. Kelzer said that they have agreements with the families that live in those houses to help repay that.
The Minnihan’s green house cost about $8,000 to demolish, according to Kelzer, and several other houses have gone or will go in front of the Manchester City Council. About five years ago, the city received a grant for just under $200,000 and now the grant has been used up. The money now comes from people who back out of their commitment with the LMI homes but that funding is running low again.
But for right now, Minnihan, and her husband Dennis, already have plans for the lot. First they will move the driveway to the far end of the property and put in shrubs, trees, a garden and maybe even someday a gazebo.
“It has a lot of memories,” said one man who used to live in the upstairs apartment when Laura Lewis owned it. Lewis sold the house to Schaul in 1988. According to the abstract, Elisha Wilcox originally bought the land from the government in 1852.
Other people stopped to take pictures or just to watch the old house come down.
“It’s sad,” Minnihan said later that day, “but I’m also happy it’s down.” With the camera still in her hand, she takes another picture. And with a shrug of her shoulders, she sits back down in her lawn chair to watch the rest of the clean up.
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| WD School Board swears in Stufflebeam |
The West Delaware School Board welcomed a new member while saying good-bye to a 15-year veteran.
Cheryl Stufflebeam will take the place of llona Durey, who served five terms.
“We presently have a board that is serving for all the right reasons,” said Durey. “I’m reluctant to leave…but I’m standing by my word.” Durey had said when she first became a member that she wouldn’t serve after her children graduated from West Delaware.
Durey was presented a lifetime pass to all West Delaware activities and a plaque with a gravel, since she once served as board president.
After Stufflebeam was given her oath, the board voted unanimously for Gary Johnson to remain president and a majority vote elected Elwyn Curtis as vice-president.
Ron Swartz, the director of buildings, grounds and transportation, said the building project is coming along well. The roofs will be matched up soon and he is expecting all the roof will be done by mid October. The last of the interior footings were poured last week and the bore field drilling will start in about a month.
“The drilling could take up to six weeks,” said Swartz, “but they’ll know more after they do three or four (wells).”
The building is overall on schedule, even though they are ahead in the band area of the building but behind in others. During the winter, the construction companies will be working on the interior.
“When the roof and walls are up the building is only about 25 percent done,” said Swartz. “The interior will take a while.”
Swartz and Paul Scherrman of Scherrman Implement gave a presentation about the Bobcat Toolcat, a piece of equipment that would help with snow removal, mowing and various other duties.
“When we push the snow on the sidewalks with the trucks it leaves deep ruts on either side,”
Swartz told the board. “This machine fits our sidewalks and we can use it year round.”
Scherrman Implement, who has been selling the Toolcat, or various models of it, for six years, let Swartz use one a few weeks ago.
“It’s a small forklift, snow blower, lawn mower, dump box,” said Scherrman. “It’s not these things (individually) but a combination of them.”
The University of Northern Iowa has two Toolcats and Hawkeye Community College has one and even the hospital is thinking about getting one.
The board tabled the item for the next board meeting to discuss the equipment.
The board also approved:
• the addition of a special education associate at the middle school,
• the 28E agreement with the City of Manchester and
• the new evaluation instrument for bus drivers.
The board also appointed the CCC (Curriculum Coordinating Council) committee members and discussed the IASB (Iowa Association of School Boards) Convention and appointed Johnson to attend the IASB Delegate Assembly and Legislative Action Network.
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IA high school rodeo coming to town
by Latisha Sand |
The Iowa High School Rodeo will be taking place at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8.
The two-day event will include 200 students from Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri competing in bull riding, bareback, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, calf roping, barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, cutting and much more.
“We’ve done it for 23 years,” said Leon Soukup of Central City. Soukup and his wife, Joyce, are sponsoring the rodeo and this is the first year it’s taken place in Manchester.
“It’s been in Central City but we outgrew those facilities,” he said. |
Leon Soukup |
The students participating in the event are all high school students who carry a ‘C’ average. Most, according to Soukup, are honor roll students.
“They compete in this like they do for football,” he said. “It’s one of the fastest growing organizations.” The High School Rodeo, nationwide, has over 11,000 members.
“We are a non-profit organizaion and any money raised that is left over from expenses, we will give back to the fairgrounds,” said Soukup, who has been a District three director for over 24 years.
There are six districts in Iowa and the group tries to have at least one rodeo in each district.
The students compete for points until the end of the school year (August to June) and then a state competition takes place. The winners of that competition will then go on and compete together at the national level in July.
“They are a neat bunch of kids,” Soukup said. “Even though they compete against each other, they help each other out. It’s like a big family.”
The rodeo uses all pro-livestock. This event’s animals will come from Kevin and Dillon Wookey of the Grand River Rodeo.
“The families and kids are quite dedicated,” said Soukup. “They go (and travel) a long ways.”
He said that 99 percent of the 200 students participating will camp with their families while they are here.
“It’s a great deal and they are nice people,” he said. “It will be great for the community.”
The Soukup’s got involved with the Iowa High School Rodeo when their oldest daughter joined.
Soon after, he became a director.
“I’ve learned a lot over the years,” said Soukup. Since then both his son and other daughter have participated. All three made it to nationals.
“The friendships that you gain and people you meet by being a part of this is great,” he said. “You meet different people, like construction workers, doctors.”
One of the goals of the program is to keep kids in school and by doing that, the state and national competitions give out scholarships as well as buckles and saddles.
There will be two arenas going at the same time with two judges for each arena.
On Saturday, the event will start with cutting at 9 a.m. and the performance at 1 p.m. On Sunday, the slack barrels and poles will begin at 9 a.m. with the performance at noon. Admission is $7 for adults and students (5-10) are $2. Preschool age is free. For additional information contact the Soukup’s at 319-438-6500.
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