• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

The Grundy Register Thursday, November 28, 2013 Serving Grundy County since 1928 Grundy Center, Iowa Volume 89 – Number 48 www.TheGrundyRegister.com $1.00 Newsstand Price Engelkes, zoning Grundy Center Board administrator discuss home discusses ways to industry rules By JOHN JENSEN improve reading scores The Grundy Register By JOHN JENSEN were non-profecient. GRUNDY CENTER — The The Grundy Register Bangasser, Barb Malloy and Ann question of rules for home businesses GRUNDY CENTER — For the Lebo have been attending AEA 267 came before the Grundy County first time since No Child Left Behind meetings voluntarily along with Supervisors Monday as Melanie legislation took effect in 2001, the other districts that are currently on Engelkes, owner of The Shabby Grundy Center Community School the SINA list (and required to attend Shack in Grundy Center, approached District finds itself in danger of the meetings). They presented a list about possibly moving her business falling onto the School in Need of of impacts that they believe might to the Yankee Farm, just outside the Improvement (SINA) list. have effected students’ reading Grundy Center city limits. To prevent that from happening, ability, including reduced class Middle School language arts time, fewer language arts teachers County Board teachers have been working together and a push to incorporate high level to find ways to improve scores. thinking willed that has led the of Supervisors They presented their findings at last district away from basic strategies Wednesday’s regular School Board and skills. Bangasser also asked Engelkes said she knows she needs meeting. if low test scores are due to low a permit to put her business there, Teacher Chris Bangasser motivation. and came with questions about rules presented a report that noting that The teachers presented a list of to run it as a home industry. County Grundy Center Middle School has suggestions that they believe will Zoning Administrator Carie Sager missed its Annual Yearly Progress help turn scores around, including explained that the home industry goal for two consecutive years and reintegrating reading and vocabulary permit is regulated by zoning rules. that a third year would put it on the skills and having more professional “As long as the rules are complied SINA list. She said student reading development time to allow teachers with and there are no issues, there achievement scores are roughly to work together to find solutions to are no issues,” Sager said. “It’s run equal to the 36th, 37th or 38th their problems. Bangasser said she on a complaint basis.” percentile nationally. Last year, she has also spoken to her students about The home industry permit, which said 11 Grundy Center sixth-graders the problems. allows small businesses to be run in Baby meets the Jolly Old Elf Seven-month-old Kaya Roby seemed only a little afraid when her father put her in Santa Claus’ arms during were non-proficient in reading (out “I told them, ‘You have to want to areas zoned for residential property, of 49 in the grade), 17 seventh- work harder,’” she said. requires that a business “be fairly the Grundy Center Village of Lights event Saturday. Hundreds of families braved single-digit wind chills to ring in the holidays at the Festival of Trees and Village of Lights events. More pictures are on today’s inside graders were non-proficient (out of incidental and secondary to the 58) and 11 eighth-graders (out of 48) See SCHOOL BOARD page 12 residential property,” Sager said. back page. (John Jensen photo) The business must be conducted entirely within an accessory building, meaning that no sales may take place outside, and may have no Land owners speak out against proposed Clean Line more than two employees who do By JOHN JENSEN not live on the property. The Grundy Register Sager stressed that the property GRUNDY CENTER — Local must retain the look of a rural land owners expressed concern and residence, though an unlit sign trepidation while simply wondering within size limitations is allowed. why a proposed wind energy corri- “So if someone drives by there dor needs to cross their land during on a normal basis it should look like a public forum about the proposed an ag property because that is first- Rock Island Clean Line last Wednes- and-foremost what it is, we should not be able to tell that it is an actual day at the Grundy Center Commu- commercial business,” Sager said. nity Center. Engelkes asked about the Clean Line Energy Partners host- possibility of having events related ed the forum as part of the require- to her business outside the barn, but ment to obtain a franchise for the line from the Iowa Utilities Board. See SUPERVISORS page 2 The Rock Island Clean Line would extend 500 miles, from a switching station in O’Brien Coun- ty in northwest Iowa through north What’s central and eastern Iowa to another switching station near Joliet, Ill. Ac- Happening cording to Clean Line, the corridor would transport power from Iowa to Wednesday, Nov. 27 1.4 million homes in 14 states east Community Thanksgiving Service of the Mississippi River and would American Lutheran Church not provide power to Iowa custom- Grundy Center • 7 p.m. ers, drawing questions of what ben- Monday, Dec. 2 efit the line would have to Grundy County. Meeting attendees view a detailed map showing where the Rock Island Clean Line will cut through the eastern part of Grundy County and then Board of Supervisors The two-hour meeting, one of turn east into Black Hawk County. Grundy County Courthouse • 9 a.m. five held last week across north cen- of more than 200 regarded why the said. Friends of Library Open House tral and northeast Iowa, featured company chose to build the line Land owners also asked why the Kling Memorial Library Iowa Utilities Board representa- through Grundy County and the proposed line is passing through the 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. tive Jim Sundmeyer explaining the ‘This is not going to be northern part of the state rather than middle of fields rather than staying Sandra Noble Book Signing process that Clean Line must go going another way. Conley said the along fence lines and roads. Kling Memorial Library • 1 p.m. through to obtain a franchise as well easy for Clean Line.’ company considered several routes “I looked in Grundy County as the right of eminent domain, or for the project, including one along alone, and you’ll be going through Grundy Center City Council condemnation, to obtain the right of — Dike’s Dennis Kruger the right of way of the former Rock 28 farms that will have (power lines) City Hall • 6 p.m. way needed for the project. He also Island Railroad across southern that these farmers are going to have Friday, Dec. 6 explained the legal rights of land project to compensation that land of the loudest support when he urged Iowa. Charles Jasper, a routing ex- to work around,” a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Bake Sale owners wishing to appeal an emi- owners would receive. land owners not to sign easements pert with Clean Line, added that it crowd said. “Iowa is No. 1 in the Manly Drug Store • 8-11 a.m. nent domain decision. Things heated up during the and not to talk to the company. makes more sense to go diagonally country in corn and beans, and if we Representatives of Clean Line 45-minute comment period, during “If we have to, we’re going to file across Iowa and Illinois to the line’s keep putting power lines in we won’t Items for “What’s Happening” should be submitted by Monday, Partners then explained the pro- which brief rounds of applause broke a class action lawsuit,” he said. “This terminus than to go straight south even be in the top 10. 10 a.m. to [email protected] posed $2 billion project, talking out for several speakers who op- is not going to be simple for Clean and then straight east. “When you went through these Items are printed free of charge about everything from the type of posed the project. L i n e .” “We looked at a lot of different ar- and subject to editorial approval. power poles that will be used for the Dike’s Dennis Kruger drew some Many questions from the crowd eas and a lot of different routes,” he See CLEAN LINE page 2 The Grundy Register, P.O. Box 245, Grundy Center, IA 50638 Phone: (319) 824-6958 • Fax: (319) 824-6288 • E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Thursday, November 28, 2013 Grundy NEWS Register www.thegrundyregister.com Supervisors From page 1 of completion and final acceptance was told that was not allowable with of work for last summer’s pavement the Home Industry Permit. Such marking project, as presented by events would be allowable with Assistant County Engineer Steve a commercial permit, though that Cox, and also approved a utility would also come with additional permit for Windstream for a cable restrictions that Sager said Mindy on E Avenue in Shiloh Township. Hamann, owner of the barn “does Supervisors approved the not want to deal with.” appointment of Dr. Ryan Arnevik “She doesn’t want to get into the as the county’s medical examiner commercial part of it, she does not as he has recently completed want it to be that big,” Sager said. training for the position. Dr. Charles Once a permit is filed and the LeTendresse was named assistant filing fee is paid, Sager said she is medical examiner.

Load more

  18

Copy Link