Click here to submit your
news ideas and stories to the
Manchester Press!
| | 
The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
| |
Bond issue overwhelmingly approved
by Ken Boesenberg |
Voters in the West Delaware school district overwhelmingly approved the issuance of $5.8 million in General Obligation Bonds last Tuesday.
The margin of victory for the issue was 73.04 percent yes and 26.96 percent no.
The turnout was heavier (12.71 percent) for this election than for the previous two elections which included the 1 percent SILO Tax extension and the West Delaware School Board election.
There were 6215 total eligible voters in the seven precincts, 790 turned out to vote.
Precinct breakdowns are as follows:
Dundee - 19 yes, 17 no, 261 eligible, 13.79 percent turnout; Greeley - 19 yes, 13 no, 388 eligible, 8.25 percent turnout; Manchester 1st & 2nd - 226 yes, 79 no, 2100 eligible, 14.52 percent turnout; Manchester 3rd - 233 yes, 70 no, 2540 eligible, 11.93 percent turnout; Masonville - 23 yes, 16 no, 405 eligible, 9.63 percent turnout; Ryan - 29 yes, 9 no, 521 eligible, 7.29 percent turnout; Absentee - 28 yes, 9 no. Total - 577 yes, 213 no, 6215 eligible, 12.71 percent.
The passage of the bond issue will now allow Building Project Phase II to go beyond the talking stages.
“I would like to thank all the people who came together to urge the School Board to move forward on the Phase II Building Project,” commented West Delaware superintendent, Rick Hilbert.
“It took a lot of people working together to get the word out concerning what Phase II consisted of and how it would be paid for. I thought they did a great job of informing and educating the communities in that regard,” continued Hilbert.
“The fact that the people passed the issue by a margin of 73 percent to 27 percent, a margin that is unheard of in todays world, is a tribute to the communities understanding of all phases of the project. It also shows confidence in our Board for the way they presented the project and their resolve in doing the project without raising property taxes,” concluded Hilbert.
This phase of the building project has some significant additions to the campus locations at both the high school and the elementary school.
As well it will allow the moving of the Central Office from its current location in the Annex Building to the Kindergarten Building at a cost estimated to be half of building a new Central Office complex.
At Lambert Elementary the initial plans call for an eight room addition as well as a 3,000 square foot multi-purpose, lunchroom.
The board has also made it well known that depending upon financing costs and the final bids, that they have a desire to provide additional space for Middle School instrumental and vocal music areas as well.
Lambert Elementary School principal, Carol Tjaden was also happy with the passage of the bond issue.
“ With the additions that can be made we will have more opportunities for scheduling and will also have more flexibility in offering programs and assemblies,” commented Tjaden.
“Most of all it gives us more educational opportunities in our Early Childhood Program, curriculum alignment and will provide classrooms with uninterrupted learning time because of the added classrooms,” continued Tjaden.
“I would like to thank the communities for their show of support as it pertains to the educational opportunities for our children,” concluded Tjaden.
At the high school campus the construction of a competition gymnasium will be a major undertaking.
The current competition gym is on the second floor of the current high school. It’s size does not allow for more than one basketball team to practice at any given time.
The new gymnasium will be big enough for both the girls and boys basketball teams to practice at the same time. That fact alone will allow youngsters to be done with a practice night well before 7:00 p.m., which is currently the case.
As well, the new facility will lend itself very well for hosting a number of large wrestling meets that are currently crammed into the current facility.
The fine arts department will benefit from the new facility as well while hosting Show Choir competitions.
With the demolition of the Annex and the relocation of those classes and the Central Office an area for some 130 parking spots will be made available.
That will greatly increase accessibility to the new facility as well as the new auditorium.
The school board will now proceed with Phase II planning in preparation for the initial bid letting of the building project.
School Board member, Mike Ryan was also very thankful for the support shown by community members in their passage of the issue.
“We would like to thank the voters for showing their support for this very good project. As well, we are very happy that they (the voters) have the trust in the board that we will use the money wisely. This is a very good opportunity to be able to borrow the needed money at a very good rate and pay it back over time with the use of sales tax money,” commented Ryan. |
Special council meeting adopts agreement with Palmer
by Ken Boesenberg |
A special meeting of the Manchester City Council was held on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 4:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
The purpose of the special meeting was to adopt resolution R-183-2007 which would rescind resolution R-179-2007 and approve a Developer’s Agreement between the City of Manchester, Iowa and Kyle Palmer.
The City and Mr. Palmer have been trying to work out an agreement whereby Palmer would receive some assistance for purchasing the property at 208 West Marion Street and also with demolition of said property.
In return Palmer had agreed to construct a commercial building on the property with a value in excess of $100,000 by July 1, 2010.
The total assistance for this project from the City of Manchester will consist of the sum of $20,000 plus an amount not to exceed $9,000 for demolition. |
KEN BOESENBERG / Press
This is the property located at 208 West Marion Street that Kyle Palmer will be purchasing and tearing down with some assistance from the City of Manchester. Palmer is going to erect a commercial building on the lot with a value in excess of $100,000 which will generate enough excess property tax revenue over the years to more than pay for the assistance given to Palmer by the city. |
In the event that Palmer constructs a commercial building with an assessable value in excess of $100,000 and completes such construction on the property by July 10, 2010 the sum of $10,000 principal shall be forgiven.
The remaining indebtedness of $10,000 will be paid via a credit for the increase in property taxes collected on the new building that are over and above the taxes now being collected on the current property with a value of $34,300.
City Council members present at the meeting were Darrell Hanson, Tony Broghammer, Dan Stelken and Jeff Ogden.
Councilman Darrell Hanson made the motion to adopt the new resolution (R-183-2007), the motion was seconded by councilman Tony Broghammer.
The motion carried on a 3-1 vote with Hanson, Broghammer and Stelken voting yes and councilman Ogden voting no.
|
Food bank contributes greatly to the needy
by Ken Boesenberg |
Since 1981, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank has provided nutritious food and grocery products to individuals, families and non-profit organizations in Northeast Iowa.
More than 35,700 Northeast Iowa area residents - including nearly 14,600 children - receive emergency food assistance each year form the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.
The mission of the area food bank is accomplished through their Member Agency distribution programs, Kids Cafe, Operation Family Pack, Elderly Nutrition Boxes, Senior Weekend Meals, and Cedar Valley Food Pantry.
The Northeast Iowa Food Bank received some good news this past week as the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee approved a Farm Bill that would boost dwindling inventories at food banks nationwide and make important improvements in the Food Stamp Program. The bill provides $4.3 billion in new investments in federal nutrition programs.
“We are very grateful to Senator Harkin and his colleagues on the Committee for their leadership in moving forward with a strong nutrition title in the Farm Bill,” said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of America’s Second Harvest - The Nations Food Bank Network.
“This legislation will bring much needed relief to our food banks and the more than 25 million people we serve each year. I am very pleased that despite severe budget constraints, Senators Harkin and Chambliss were able to find resources to make these critical investments,” concluded Escarra.
The legislation comes at a time when food banks nationwide are experiencing a dramatic decline in food aid from surplus purchases by the United States Department of Agriculture. The declines are primarily a result of a strong agricultural economy in recent years. This results in the USDA purchasing and distributing much less surplus food. The value of USDA food support to emergency feeding organizations has declined dramatically in recent years. Last year, the value of USDA donated food was $175 million less than was donated in 2003.
“Improvements in TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) and food stamps are both critical to ensuring that we have an adequate safety net for hungry Americans,” said Barbara Prather, Executive Director of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. “America’s Second Harvest food banks will continue their work to end hunger in American, but we can not do it alone.”
The Delaware County Food Pantry is located in the United Methodist Church at 413 East Butler Street, Manchester, and can always use the generous support of the areas residents as they do their part to help feed the needy of Delaware County. |
109
E. Delaware - P.O. Box 245 - Manchester, Iowa 52057
563-927-2020 / FAX 563-927-4945
Copyright
Manchester Press 2005 - 2006
Thede
Web Works - Web Questions
|