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The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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Highs receive Four Star Banner
by Ken Boesenberg |
Manchester’s local American Legion Post 45 awarded the Four Star Banner to Virgil and Carol High of Manchester during their regular meeting Monday, January 7.
Virgil and Carol currently have three sons and a daughter in-law serving in the armed forces.
Eldest son, Joshua, age 32, lives in Kansas City, Kansas with his wife Rhiannon and their daughter Delphine.
Joshua spent from 1993 to 1999 in the Iowa Army Reserves as a medic. On September 11, 2006 he re-enlisted in the Kansas Army Reserves as a combat medic specialist.
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PHOTO SUBMITTED by LEE REMPE
Pictured with the Four Star Banner award are Virgil and Carol High. Presenting the banner are at left, Todd Tomlin, Commander and at right, Ron Struble, Vice Commander. |
Joshua will deployed to Kuwait/Iraq this month (January of 2008) and plans to go active Army after his deployment.
Justin, age 29, is stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia with his wife Jennifer and sons Connor and Logan.
He was active in the Army from 1996 to 1999 as a Cavalry Scout and spent a year deployed in Bosnia.
Justin was in the Iowa National Guard and while attending UNI joined the ROTC and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the fall of 2005 at which time he went on active duty again.
Justin is currently deployed in Iraq, where he has been since Jan. 2007 as a 1st Lt. Armored Executive Officer.
Justin’s wife, Jennifer has been a member of the Army Reserves since 2002. She also attended UNI and the ROTC program where she received a commission as a 2nd Lt. in December of 2006.
Jennifer is currently an Executive Officer with the Transportation Reserve Unit stationed in Savannah, Georgia.
The High’s third son, Jesse, age 27, is stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia with his wife Katie and son D’Artagnan.
Both Jesse and Katie graduated from Iowa State University as linguist. Jesse was in training in Presidio, California before being deployed in December 2007.
The following is some history pertaining to the Blue Star Service Banner presented to the Highs’.
The Blue Star Service Banner being held by Carol in the photo was designed and patented in 1917 by World War I Army Captain, Robert L. Queissner of the 5th Ohio Infantry who had two sons serving on the front line. It quickly became the unofficial symbol of a child in the service.
During World War II, the Department of War issued specifications on the manufacture of the flag as well as guidelines indicating when an by whom the Service flag could be flown or the Service Lapel button could be worn.
The Department of Defense updated the guidelines on December 1, 1967 with a directive which implemented an Act of Congress authorizing a service flag and a service lapel button.
The Blue Star Service Banner typically displayed in windows is an 8.5 by 14-inch white field with a blue star(s) sewn onto a red banner. The size may vary but should be in proportion to the size of the U.S. Flag.
Today Blue Star Service Banners are displayed by families who have a loved one serving in the armed forces including the National Guard and Reserves of all military departments. The banner displayed in the front window of a home shows a family’s pride in their loved one serving in the military, and reminds others that preserving America’s freedom demands much.
Each blue start represents one family member serving in the armed forces. |
Board addressed on 150th Avenue bridge concerns
by Ken Boesenberg |
The Delaware County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Monday morning, Jan. 7.
The board was addressed by Larry Gritton concerning the repair or replacement of the 150th Avenue Bridge which has remained closed since it was washed out by the flash flood during October 2007.
Mr. Gritton informed the Board that he was against increasing the opening of said bridge. In his opinion, there will be more flooding and property damage if the speed of the runoff is increased.
“Currently,” commented Gritton, “the existing opening and road slows the runoff allowing the crest to be reduced. This “backup” only lasts a couple hours without any damage to Gary Nieman’s crops since the water has been slowed so there is no current. This process has been observed in this area for over 30 years and it works. If you increase the opening, the water will flow more rapidly and cause great damage to all crop land east of the road.”
Mr. Gritton has consulted with a local contractor and suggests that the county put culverts in the opening rather than replacing the bridge. Replacing the bridge will cost the county somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000.
With posted bridges to the west, local farmers can not afford to have the 155th Avenue bridge out for an extended length of time.
It was suggested that if the county would use precast square or rectangular culverts, the cost would be in the neighborhood of $50,000 to repair the opening. As well there would not be the need for guard rails and there would not exist the need for a weight limit as long as a good level of material was maintained on top of the culverts.
Don Wendling commented that there were three (3) 14’ x 14’ culverts on Highway 13 where this same creek intersected the highway. “These culverts don’t go out when it floods. If the State DOT can do it this way, why can’t the county, inquired Wendling.
Those present were of the consensus that they could not wait for a long time to get the road reopened. An example of a problem caused by the bridge being out is that Gary Nieman currently has to travel some four miles in order to get to a field that is just one mile south of the bridge. He can not use the bridge to the west as it is a posted bridge where his equipment exceeds the weight limit.
It was the shared opinion of those concerned citizens present that the Board needs to seriously look into the use of culverts. They agreed that if culverts could be used instead of bridges that there would be a huge savings to the county.
Supervisors Steve Koeneke and Shirley Helmrichs commented that the Board would need to talk to the NRCS and the county Engineer, who has been researching options and funding sources since the bridge in question was not slated to be replaced until 2012.
It was further stated that the Board wants to make sure whatever is done to repair this opening is for the long haul. Whether the county goes with a bridge or culverts, we want it to last at least 50 years.
The Board then held its scheduled Public Hearing regarding the confinement feeding operation for Mark and Sue Goebel in Section Six (6) of Coffins Grove Twp as published.
Supervisor Steve Koeneke said he had visited the Goebel site and was impressed with its functionality.
With no further comment from the public a motion was made and carried to send a statement to the DNR showing that a public hearing was held and that there was no objection to the increase of this site to 1476 animal units.
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Big Brothers, Big Sisters
by Ken Boesenberg |
| Big Sister, Jamie Hillers (left) and Little Sister, Taylor (right) are in their first year of participating in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Mentoring program. The two have been meeting since October and have had a lot of fun spending time together. They have went to the zoo (Cricket Hollow), played many games, watched movies and went bowling. Hillers says she got involved in the program because she really enjoys being around people and especially kids. Both encourage others to become involved in the Mentoring program as it is a very fulfilling experience for both the Big and the Little. |
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