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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

City awarded two housing grants Maquoketa River Duck Race planned for June 26 Vandalism at Seibert Park

City awarded two housing grants by Latisha Sand

The Manchester City Council discussed and approved several items at their meeting, which was held on Monday, June 11. The City of Manchester was recently award two grants by the IDED Housing Fund. The first grant was a Home Program Grant, which will provide assistance to eight first-time homebuyers. The second grant, a Community Development Block Grant, will provide help to nine already occupied homes in Manchester. Qualifications for each grant must be submitted to Manchester City Hall by Monday, June 25. The city is moving forward with two housing demolitions. A house on North Wayne Street and a house on South Madison Street will be demolished in the next couple of months. The city received a total of three bids for the two projects. Randy’s Sanitation, of Manchester, was awarded both of the projects. “There was not enough interest because contractors are all busy,” said Marty Kelzer, Planning and Project Coordinator. The city will pay up to two-thirds of the cost of each project. The home on South Madison was bid at $4,450 but Kelzer said he was going to see if city employees would cap the sewer lines and remove them. That would put the bid at approximately $5,600. The bid for the house on South Wayne Street was $7,850. The money for these projects will come from the Housing Acquisition and Demolition Program. Kelzer also approached the council about spending some of the allocated money for the welding program through West Delaware and NICC. Originally the city set aside $10,000 for the program and has only spent $3,586. Seth Harms, the welding instructor, would like to purchase a CNC Plasma Can Cutting Table, which costs approximately $9,800. Harms told Kelzer that the table could also be used by the city for key chains or metal signs. Council members Tony Broghammer and Darrell Hanson both agreed to use $5,000 of the $6,414 left as long as it benefits the industries in the area. Kelzer said Harms was going to approach the West Delaware School District and NICC to come up with the additional funding. The council also approved several items in their consent agenda including: • a one year supplemental agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for maintenance. Mayor Milt Kramer told the council that this is an annual agreement for the travel portion of Highway 13 that is within Manchester’s city limits. • changing the election date for the proposed addition and remodeling of the Manchester Fire Station, located on East Main Street. Carla Becker, the Delaware County Auditor, wanted to change the election from Tuesday, July 24 to Tuesday, July 31. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and the last day to register to vote would be Friday, July 20.

Maquoketa River Duck Race planned for June 26 by Ken Boesenberg

One week from today, Tuesday, June 26 there will be a very exciting and important race taking place, right here in Manchester. The Manchester Lions Club, the Rotary Service Club, the Country Cruisers Car Club, the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Manchester have all teamed up to sponsor “The Maquoketa River Duck Race.”

The race will be for the benefit of raising money for our Delaware County Special Olympics teams. There will be a number of activities taking place at Riverfront Park (just off South Franklin St.) with ceremonies starting at 11:30 a.m. and the race getting underway at approximately noon. The Delaware County Beef Producers will be cooking hamburgers and serving those burgers with chips and pop for $4.00. You are also welcome to bring a carry out lunch from your favorite eating establishment and watch the race. Race observers will also be able to purchase raffle tickets where they will guess what time the winning duck will cross the finish line. The West Delaware Jazz Band will be preforming as part of the mornings activities. Special Olympics is an international organization created to help people with intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence and social skills through sports training and competition. The Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1962. Shriver’s intellectually disabled sister, the late Rosemary Kennedy, is often credited as her inspiration to create Special Olympics. The first International Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago, IL, in 1968. The first Winter Special Olympics were held in Steamboat Springs, CO, in February 1977. In 1988, the Special Olympics was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is the only sports organization authorized by the IOC to use the name “Olympics” in its title. The Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) is a statewide non-profit organization that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This gives them the continued opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, their community and other Special Olympic athletes. Special Olympics in Iowa has served Iowans for over 39 years. The first competition in Iowa had fewer than 100 participating athletes. Currently, Special Olympics Iowa provides training and competition in 22 sports for more than 13,000 athletes representing each of Iowa’s 99 counties. In Manchester, Joan Salow heads up the Special Olympics that takes in students from second grade right on through 12th grade. Currently there are more than a dozen Special Olympians participating in Manchester. Joan is assisted by Sharon Stufflebeam and Jean Resor. The Special Olympic oath is as follows - “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Vandalism at Seibert Park by Ken Boesenberg

Two Manchester juveniles were arrested Sunday, June 10 on Felony Criminal Mischief charges. Felony Criminal Mischief is a Class D Felony. Taken into custody were Trevor Ross, age 16 of Manchester and Ronald Lawson, age 16 also of Manchester. Complaints against the two have been referred to the Juvenile court Officer. The juveniles were released. Police were called to Seibert City Park on Sunday afternoon where they found four new rubber coated picnic tables that had been placed at the shelter destroyed. “The recent vandalism to the picnic tables at Seibert Park will cost our taxpayers more than our insurance deductible,” stated Manchester City Parks and Recreation Director, Ben Page.

“The City Parks Department will be aggressively pursuing legal remedies for anyone caught vandalizing the City Parks or equipment,” continued Page. With the increased usage of the city parks during the summer period the Manchester Police Department and the City Parks Department are urging citizens to report any acts of vandalism they observe. All callers will remain anonymous.

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