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Biggest Little Paper In Town! 1
The PaperLaur ens, Iowa
Our Town, Our Paper!
© Copyright My Laurens, Inc., 2010 All Rights Reserved.
www.thepapernow.com
December 31, 2013
Vol. 7 No. 40
Local News
Wallins Make First Donation to Kick Off New Pool Capital CampaignThe Laurens New Pool Committee kicked off their Capital Campaign December 18 with a dinner at the Laurens Country Club. The announcement was made that Lyle and Barb Wallin are the first major donors with their check for $30,000. This added to the funds on hand and with the commitment of another sizeable donation, the new pool fund is up to $90,000! The current pool was built in 1956 with an Earl Mackie Memorial donation of $50,000 and other funds, with the total cost of $67,000. That’s quite a contrast to the projected cost of 3.2 million dollars!Only through exceptional maintenance and use of short term repairs was the City able to extend the pool’s life far past its 50 year life expectancy. The current water usage is 9 times higher than normal because of the deteriorating vessel. Areas of the bath house and pool are physically crumbling beyond the point of being able to repair them for use in a new facility. Accessibility for those with mobility issues and for families with children in a wide age span is also an issue that needs to be addressed. Plans approved by the New Pool Committee and the Laurens City Council
include a zero depth entry for accessibility, 6 lanes so swim meets can continue to be hosted, a diving well and a water slide. The bath house and pool itself will be totally ADA compliant. The pool vessel is engineered to be as durable as possible and reduce the potential for frost heave. The pool vessel is engineered to reduce frost heave potential, as well as to be as durable as possible. Water will enter the pool through inlets in the floor, filtered at the rim and recirculated. A timeline for the Laurens Aquatic Center was presented. If all goes as planned, the City of Laurens will open public bidding for the different aspects of the project in January of 2015. The pool will remain open until July 31, 2015, with actual construction (or destruction!) set to begin the very next day. The plan for the pool to be open for use in June of 2016 is somewhat weather dependant. At this time, the committee has not found any grants which would help fund the pool and there is no money in the City budget for this, so all money will need to come from private sources. This is why we are recruiting members with the
instrumental skills and community connections that are needed for this Capital Campaign to be a success. In the months ahead, these members will design a plan for successful fundraising from businesses and individuals in the Laurens community and beyond.If you just can’t wait for the start of Capital Campaign and would like to make your tax deductible donation for this year, please send it to City of Laurens New Pool Fund, 272 North 3rd Street, Laurens, IA 50554 If you did not attend but would like to help with the fund raising please contact any Pool Committee member!Don Aschenbrenner, Chad Cleveland, Kelly Gordon, Kayla Graff, John Jamison, Iner Joelson, Glenda Mulder, Barb Smith, Kelly Tate and Lyle Wallin
Our Town Our Paper! 2
Local News
Biggest Little Paper In Town! 3
Advertising
12582 Hwy 10 | Laurens, IA(712) 841-2287
Ring in the New Year at Laurens Golf & Country Club
with Dinner and Music!
Ribeye Steak or Jumbo Shrimp DinnerServing from 5-8 p.m.
South 71 Band Begins at 8 p.m.For Reservations Call:
Shirley Kruse - 841-4917 or 790-9269
Thank you for returning our
Budweiser mirror.
Silver Dollar Saloon
Our Town Our Paper! 4
Local News
Princess City Players at Laurens Public LibraryThe Princess City Players entertained us at the Laurens Public Library. John Smith read O. Henry's classic short story, "The Gift of the Magi" about the greatest Christmas Gifts of all. Helen Beneke shared a laugh with Kristen Alstott about this tool, which is used to make "fattigmannsbakkels" the Norwegian fried dough cookie. Helen also shared stories of her Norwegian heritage and traditions. We sang carols, had a trivia quiz and sampled Helen's cookies. We all left feeling charged with Christmas Spirit.
Albert City Public Library Wins BVCCF Grant The Albert City Public Library won a $1707.48 grant from the Buena Vista County Community Foundation for library computers. Mary Johnson, Director of the Albert City Public Library, applied for money to cover the costs for two HP Compaq Elite 8300 state of the art computers, with added memory, for the library. The computers are patron use computers, so they will be available for any citizen that comes into the library. Mary states- “BVCCF funding was critical to the project because local funding is limited and in this economy small libraries operate under tight budgets. We are so pleased to be awarded this funding. Our local and county patrons will benefit greatly. We must keep up with technology and BVCCH has made this possible. Thank you!” An awards breakfast banquet was held at Kings Pointe in Storm Lake on Saturday, December 14th, 2013 to present all the winners with checks. Accepting for the Albert City Public Library along with Mary Johnson were Library Board members Jim Roberts, Mavis Loving, Ebba Youngberg and Merle Hogrefe.
Biggest Little Paper In Town! 5
School News
L-M Sparks Drill Team Places 3rd at State Drill TeamOn December 5th the L-M Sparks participated in the Iowa State Drill Team Competition in Des Moines. They competed in two categories, Class 2 Pom and Small School Hoopla. The Sparks came home with a 3rd place Pom trophy and a Division 1 rating plaque in Hoop. Good Job Ladies!
Pom Routine Hoopla Routine
Back Row L to R: Trisha Griffin, Kylie Sundblad, Bethany Hubbell, Rhianna Aschenbrenner, Brooke Runneberg, Addy Boettcher, Coach Dee Johnson and Kenzie Sullivan.
Middle Row L to R: Hannah Runneberg, Sami Hudson, Destini Oehlertz, Addison Tate and Hailey Fansega.Front Row L to R: Taylor Zurek, Allison Hofmaster and Briley Sullivan.
Our Town Our Paper! 6
At the Library & Advertising
Laurens State Bank102 South 3rd Street, Laurens | 712-845-2627
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:30-3, Fri. 8:30-4 & Sat. Drive Thru Only 9-12
Laurens State Bank is looking for a Teller/Bookkeeper. Computer experience is
required. Competitive wages and benefit available. Please
send resume or stop in to fill out an application.
At the Library with Glenda MulderJanuary 1, 2014 When the Princess City Players were at the Library, Helen Beneke was telling us about Christmas traditions in Norway. Lois Brown was in the audience and shared that they had been there and told of some of the souvenirs she has. Well, she has filled a display case with them, so come take a look. Most intriguing to me are the “hand holding mittens.” What fun! Now I want a pair of those – think I could talk Lorin into wearing them with me? It’s that time of year where we reflect on the past and look forward to the future. I thought I’d try to highlight the changes in our Library this year. One of our biggest changes has to be in staff. When Nancy moved away this spring, Allison Price became our Children’s Librarian. Then this fall when Mary told us she wanted to retire, Kayla Graff came on board. Although we miss our friends Nancy & Mary, we enjoy working with Allison & Kayla and feel they are a great addition to our library. There have been a couple changes in the physical library. One you don’t see at all, it just keeps us all comfortable – new heat pumps! The other one was a major undertaking. Last spring we decided that to make better use of our space and to highlight our most used services; a space reorganization was in order. While we didn’t move any of the book shelves, we did change where a lot of our collections live. We moved our easy nonfiction, juvenile fiction, youth fiction, biographies, paperback fiction, adult nonfiction, regular and large print fiction! Whew - what an arm workout that was! We like the change and feel it does make the most of our space, but at times we still find ourselves walking to the wrong shelf! We’ve recently added a service, thanks to the Laurens Public Library Foundation’s Fall Fundraiser. TumbleBooks kids’ e-books are lots of fun and are a great addition to our other e-books available from the Wilbor consortium. If you’d like to know more about either of these services, just ask us! Now, looking forward…..I’ve got a few things up my sleeve….you’ll just have to wait to see! Happy New Year!
Biggest Little Paper In Town! 7
Sports News
L-M Basketball Boys Lose to GT/RA The Chargers traveled to Ruthven December 19th for a game against Graettinger-Terril-Ruthven-Ayrshire Titans. The Titans were the first to score and never trailed during the game as they took a half-time lead of 41-18. The second half the Titans maintained their lead with the final score of 77-46. The Chargers scoring included: Tyler Stumbo 22, Riley Maschino and Keegan Jamison 9 each, Tre Seiler 5, and Logan Sampers with 1. Rebounding was led by Stumbo with 10, Seiler 9, Maschino 3, Chase Oehlertz 2, Devin Grossnickle, Jamison, and Sampers each with 1. Stumbo recorded 3 assists with Grossnickle and Oehlertz each having 1. Maschino had 4 steals, Jamison 3, Seiler and Stumbo each had 1.
South Central Calhoun Defeat L-M Basketball BoysThe Chargers played the South Central Calhoun Titans December 20th for a Twin Lakes Conference game. The contest was close throughout the game as the Titans held a small lead throughout and won the contest 65-56. Tyler Stumbo led the scoring with 13, followed by Keegan Jamison 12, Riley Maschino 11, Devin Grossnickle and Chase Oehlertz each had 7 and Tre Seiler with 6. Rebounding included Grossnickle with 7, Seiler 6, Jamison and Stumbo 5, Oehlertz 4, and Maschino 1. Stumbo had 5 assists, Jamison and Oehlertz each had 3 and Maschino 1. Oehlertz had 2 steals, Maschino, Stumbo, and Grossnickle each had 1.
The gang at The Paper would like to wish you and yours all the best in 2014!!
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Subscribe and Submit TODAY!
Our Town Our Paper! 8
Local News
Positive Solutions For Familes Workshops Available
Beginning January 20th, Linking Families and Communities will be offering a series of parenting workshops in Pocahontas. This six session series is designed to provide parents of young children (2-8 years of age), with methods and strategies to promote positive behavior. Strategies in this workshop align with the PBIS curriculum that is being used in the Pocahontas Community School District, Discovery Child Care Center, Pocahontas All Star-T, Pomeroy Palmer Preschool, & Laurens Community School District. Parents will learn new methods to help their child follow directions, mediate squabbles, importance of building relationships and how to positively deal with tears and tantrums and MUCH more. Classes are FREE, a light meal and childcare are provided. Enroll early, limited spots available. For more information or to register visit www.linking-families.com or contact the Early Childhood Specialist at 515-955-5437.
Positive Solutions For Families
Parenting Workshops
Name:____________________________________ Address:_________________________________ City:______________________________________ Phone:__________________________________ Email:_____________________________________ # of Adults Attending:______________________
Circle which session you would like to attend: Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 List the ages of children for which you need child care:________________________________________
Session 1 Unity Point Health – Trinity
802 Kenyon Road, Fort Dodge January 16, 23, 30 February 13, 20 & 27
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
These workshops are designed to provide parents of young children (2-8 years of age), with methods and strategies to promote positive behavior. Strategies in this workshop align with the
PBIS curriculum that is being used in child care, preschools and schools.
Learn What Does Work:
New methods to help your child follow directions.
Mediate squabbles with teaching problem solving skills.
Learn how to best foster your child’s emotional skills.
How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk.
The importance of building relationships with your child.
Learn to positively deal with tears and tantrums.
Session 2 Discovery Day Care
600 2nd Avenue SW, Pocahontas January 20, 27 February 10, 17, 24 & March 3
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Session 3 Stewart Memorial Hospital
1301 West Main Street, Lake City March 5, 19; April 2, 16, 30 & May 14
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Session 4 Unity Point Health – Trinity
802 Kenyon Road, Fort Dodge April 8, 15, 22, 29 May 6 & 13
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
For more information and to register, please return the form below to: Linking Families and Communities: 822 Central Avenue Ste. 340, Fort Dodge
Call 515-955-5437 or email: [email protected]
ENROLL EARLY, LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE!
Enroll in one of our FREE sessions today!
(You must attend all 6 sessions in a series)
** A light meal and childcare will be provided!
Biggest Little Paper In Town! 9
Announcements & Advertising
Pocahontas County ISU Extension and Outreach Private Pesticide Applicator TrainingPocahontas County ISU Extension and Outreach Private Pesticide Applicator Training will be Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at 9:30 - 11:30 am. at the Rialto Theatre, Pocahontas. Continuing education for Private Pesticide Applicators is two hours of instruction that is required annually for re-certification.
Bridal Shower"Bling out the Bride" come & go bridal shower for Emily Behrens, bride-elect of Brian Wrightsman. Daughter of Mike & Joann Behrens of Marathon. The shower will be held on Saturday January 18th from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the West Bank Community Room in Laurens. Emily & Brian are registered at theknot.com, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and The Straw Horse in Albert City.
Decorating Service | Measuring, Estimates and Installation IncludedCarpet, Vinyl, Ceramic & Wood Flooring | Wallcoverings | Bridal Registry
Willow Tree | Custom Window Blinds & Drapes | Diamond Vogel PaintsGifts/Free Wrap & Delivery | Framing & Matting Estimates
JHDesign Studio217 W. Veterans Road | Laurens, IA 50554(712) 841-4585 | www.jhdesignstudioia.com
Jan Hersom, Owner | [email protected] Jolliffe & Co.Professional Tax &
Accounting Services
101 South Third St.P.O. Box 126Laurens, IA 50554Phone: (712) 841-2671Fax: (712) 841-2673
1207 Hwy. 59 NorthP.O. Box 438
Cherokee, IA 51012Phone: (712) 225-6403
Fax: (712) 225-6404
Our Town Our Paper! 10
Extension News
2014 Pocahontas County Fair Market Beef Weigh-InAll market cattle that will be exhibited at the 2014 Pocahontas County Fair must be weighed in on Saturday, January 4, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the Dale Wenell Farm, Albert City. State fair identification will not be done at this time, contact the Pocahontas County ISU Extension and Outreach Office if you need State Fair identification or if you have any questions at 712-335-3103 or [email protected]
2014 Northwest Iowa Youth Beef BonanzaAll youth (4th grade and older) and their families are encouraged to attend the 1st Annual Beef Bonanza sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Iowa Lakes Community College. The hands-on educational event will be held Saturday, January 18, 2014 at Iowa Lake Community College in Emmetsburg. Participation in this program will earn you the designation of “Certified Youth Beef Producer” and will also fulfill your Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) training. Some of the sessions that will be offered are: Cattle Comfort and Nutrition, Vet Health, Where’s your Money Going?, and Beefing Up Meal Time. You must be registered for this conference no later than January 7. Registration forms are available online at www.extension.iastate.edu/pocahontas or you may contact the Pocahontas County ISU Extension and Outreach Office at 712-335-3103 or [email protected].
Send Your News to
The Paper!www.thepapernow.com
100% User Generated Content!
Subscribe and Submit TODAY!
Money Talk: A Financial Guide for Women AND MenPocahontas County Extension and Outreach is offering a 5 part series called “Money Talk” on Mondays, Jan. 13-Feb. 10, 2014. The series will be held at the Pocahontas County Office, 305 N Main, Pocahontas from 6-8 PM. Topics include: Financial Basics, When Life Changes, Investing for Basics, Investing for Retirement, and Retirement Realities. Speakers include Jada Hallberg, First Choice Financial; Carol Hallman, Hudson Law Firm, and Jan Monahan, ISU Extension Family Resource Management Field Specialist. The costs for the program are greatly reduced because of sponsorships from area banks and Extension. For registration and fee information call the Pocahontas County Extension and Outreach office at 712-335-3103.
Biggest Little Paper In Town! 11
Advertising
OLSON-BIERI-CHRISTENSEND.D.S., P.C.
Linda Olson Bieri, D.D.S.Steven Christensen, D.D.S.
P.O. Box 124•111 west main•Laurens, IA 50554(712) 841-4930•fax (712) 841-4720•toll free (877) 849-1756
Satellite officep.o. box 509•1724 hill ave•suite 100•spirit lake, ia 51360
(712) 336-9111www.bieri-christensen-dds.com
Kristy Mather, C.P.A.15204 450th St.
Laurens, IA 50554Business Phone: (712) 845-2311
Fax: (712) 845-2311E-mail: [email protected]
The Bottom LineTax & Accounting Services
•INTERNET ACCESS•NON-SMOKING•AIR CONDITIONED•CABLE TV•MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
Lodge Inn Laurens“Your Home Away From Home”
ReservationsJayne Woodin 712.450.2411 www.lodgeinnlaurens.com
Jolliffe & Co.Professional Tax &
Accounting Services
101 South Third St.P.O. Box 126Laurens, IA 50554Phone: (712) 841-2671Fax: (712) 841-2673
1207 Hwy. 59 NorthP.O. Box 438
Cherokee, IA 51012Phone: (712) 225-6403
Fax: (712) 225-6404
Check Out this Week’s Ad by Clicking the Link Below!
Weekly Ad
Laurens, IA
Phone: (712) 841-4513Store Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Our Town Our Paper! 12
Church
This Week at Laurens United Methodist ChurchWed., Jan. 1st Happy New Year’s DayChurch office closedNo Confirmation Class or Puppets
Thurs., Jan. 2nd Blood Drive here from 2:00-5:30 pm
Fri., Jan. 3rd Men’s Bible Study @ 7 a.m.
Sat., Jan. 4th UMM Breakfast/Meeting @ 7 a.m.
Sun., Jan. 5th Sunday School resumes @ 9:10 a.m.Fellowship @ 9:30 a.m.Worship @ 10:30 a.m. w/ CommunionLaurens Youth Group (Jr. high) meets from 6-8 p.m. at United Methodist Church
Mon., Jan. 6th Quilt Club meets here @ 7 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 8th Book Club resumes @ 10 a.m. at the home of Virginia OttoConfirmation Class @ 5:30 p.m.No Puppets
Sunday, January 5, 2014Second Sunday of Christmas9:00 AM ~ SS & Confirmation9:15 AM ~ Coffee Fellowship9:30 AM ~ Adult SS10:30 AM ~ Worship6:00-8:00 PM ~ Laurens Area Youth Group (Jr. High) at UMC
Monday, January 6, 2014 Nativity Tear Down Day
Tuesday, January 7, 20145:00 PM ~ Worship & Music Mtg.7:00 PM ~ Hand Bell Rehearsal
Worship, Love, Accept~Together in Christ’s Name
Sacred Heart Church LaurensPastor ~ Fr. John J. Gerald Weekday Mass : Friday, 8:30 AMWeekend Mass: Sunday 10:30 AM (November - February)
The PaperPublished weekly by
My Laurens, Inc.112 Walnut St.
Laurens, IA 50554
Phone: (712) 841-2684
Fax: (712) 841-4662
Website: www.thepapernow.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Publisher: Rodney Johnson
Editor:Amanda Tendal
Rights to Use Content: The Paper, its content, archived materials, and our websites, are provided solely for your personal, non-commercial use. The Paper, its
content, our websites and all the materials available on our websites are the property of My Laurens, Inc., and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws. You may download, print or transmit The Paper for your personal, non-commercial
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reproduce or distribute materials from The Paper, please contact My Laurens, Inc. at (712) 841-2684
This Week at First Christian Church Wednesday, Jan. 1 Mission Council postponed to Jan. 8-7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 2 2:00 p.m. C.W.F. - Hostess: Karen Blankenship 7:00 p.m. AA Meeting
Sunday, Jan. 5 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship10:30 a.m. Children’s Church
Biggest Little Paper In Town! 13
City Council Minutes
The Laurens City Council met in work session at the Municipal Building at 5:15 pm, December 23, 2013. Mayor Rod Johnson called the meeting to order. Present were Council members Rich Newgard, Ken Kunickis, Clarence Siepker, and Julie Potter; Police Chief, Chris Toner; City Manager, Barbara Smith; and Public Works Director, Julian Johnsen. Absent were Council Member Gary Heuton and City Attorney, Ann Beneke.
The Council discussed many issues pertaining to the city employees’ wages. It was decided to work on the City Manager salary at this workshop and discuss hourly paid city employees’ wages at the budget workshop set for January 22, 2014.
Newgard motioned to close the work session at 6:25, seconded by Siepker. Ayes all; motion carried.
Following the work session-- The Laurens City Council met in special session at the Municipal Building at 6:25 pm, December 23, 2013. Mayor
Rod Johnson called the meeting to order. Present were Council members Rich Newgard, Ken Kunickis, Clarence Siepker, and Julie Potter; Police Chief, Chris Toner; City Manager, Barbara Smith; and Public Works Director, Julian Johnsen. Absent were Council Member Gary Heuton and City Attorney, Ann Beneke.
Kunickis motioned to implement a $4,000 raise for the City Manager effective January 1, 2014. There will be no review until January, 2015 and no additional increase in salary until July, 2015. All city employees’ evaluations will be moved to the month of January to set their hourly wage for July 1 prior to the budget process beginning January, 2014. The motion was seconded by Newgard. Ayes all; motion carried.
Siepker motioned to hire James Litwiller as Street Superintendent at a wage of $16 per hour, seconded by Potter. Ayes all; motion carried.
Siepker motioned to adjourn at 6:40 pm; seconded by Kunickis. Ayes all; motion carried.
________________________________________ _________________________________________ Rod Johnson, Mayor Barbara Smith, City Clerk
