KALONA INSIDE WELLMAN Celebrate RIVERSIDE FFA Week LONE TREE Page 8A-10A ON TO STATE PAGE 1B Lebkc['(.De$. A7BED7"M7I>?D=JED9EKDJO"?EM7+((*-J>KHI:7O"<;8HK7HO(&"(&(& '$(+ Kalona council OKs $3.7 million budget BY JAMES JENNINGS City Administrator Ryan The News Schlabaugh said that the levy KALONA reduction was possible be- cause overall valuation went On Monday night, the Kalo- up about $4.3 million. na City Council passed a near- The city will see an addi- ly $3.7 million budget for the tional $28,000 in property tax fiscal year beginning July 1. revenue from the new levy and As part of that budget, the increased valuation. overall property tax levy will Schlabaugh told the council go down. that the levy is comparatively The current levy is at $10.73 low compared to other similar- per $1,000 of valuation. The ly sized cities in the state. new levy will be $10.59 per $1,000 of valuation, a reduction of about 1.35%. SEE BUDGET | PAGE 6A Hotel tax grants sought by 4 Riverside organizations BY JIM JOHNSON organizations is a small part The News of the $183,880 collected from RIVERSIDE visitors who stay overnight at the Riverside Casino and Golf The Riverside City Coun- Resort. cil was scheduled to consider An additional $91,940 is slat- $54,500 in hotel-motel tax rev- ed to go to city parks. enue to five organizations at its According to its grant ap- meeting Tuesday night. plication, Trekfest last year The council’s regular Mon- attracted approximately 7,000 day meeting was moved until visitors the last weekend in Tuesday due to the Presidents’ June. Day holiday. The grant will help pay for The Riverside Area Com- parade awards, advertising, munity Club applied for a the costume contest, security, $19,000 for Trekfest and an the Bill Reilly Talent Search additional $4,000 for summer and rentals such as tables, events. The Riverside History tents, inflatables and portable Center asked for $19,000. The toilets. RACC requested an ad- Washington County YMCA ditional $4,000 for summer requested $10,000 and Paws & More sought $2,500. The amount requested by SEE GRANTS | PAGE 2A JAMES JENNINGS/THE NEWS Denise Allen, who owns Fresh! along with her husband Scott, puts together a bouquet of roses on the morning of Valentine’s Day. FLOWER FRENZY All the planning and prepa- Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of ration, however, do not com- pletely take away any angst in the year for Kalona’s newest flower shop the days right before the holi- day. BY JAMES JENNINGS “The crazy thing about “Years ago – and it stays the The News Valentine’s Day is that people same today – my wife told me KALONA want it all on one day,” Allen when I get all freaky a couple said. days before and I’m wonder- Flowers have become syn- Planning for the big day ing where all the orders are, onymous with Valentine’s Day starts about a month in ad- she said ‘It’s a man’s holiday. as an expression of love. vance. Nobody plans ahead. It’ll all JAMES JENNINGS/THE NEWS Every Feb. 14, florists are “You start planning what show up on the day of and the State Rep. Jarad Klein (R-Keota) speaks during Saturday’s legisla- swamped with customers buy- flowers you need to order and day before.’ And she’s right,” tive forum at the Washington County Courthouse. ing everything from single ros- what supplies you need to or- Allen said. “I was still nervous es to lavish bouquets as gifts der,” he said. “There are cer- yesterday. I didn’t know what for the people they love. tain things you can do to prep to expect.” Valentine’s Day was proved ahead of time. You get bows Allen has been in the flower Local lawmakers discuss to be no different for Kalona’s ready and other things like business since he was a young newest flower shop, Fresh!, lo- that ready.” man, starting out helping cated at 508 C Ave. next to the The flowers start coming Joyce Niffenegger at her shop, school funding, abortion Kalona Public Library. in about a week before Valen- Niff’s Nature Nook. “Valentine’s Day is a mad- tine’s Day, which was a help to “In the early 1980s when BY JAMES JENNINGS Republicans, all gave their house,” said Scott Allen, who Allen because of the freshness Joyce was first opening up, I The News thoughts on those issues and owns the shop with his wife, of the flowers he gets from his was a kid who liked plants and others at the forum. Denise. “It’s exciting and exhil- supplier. WASHINGTON flowers,” Allen said. “I was a Klein pointed out that the arating. It’s really fun to see all “They’re so fresh, they pret- kid who showed up there.” School funding and abor- House recently agreed to a the people you can make happy ty much come straight from the In 1999, he and his wife pur- tion rights dominated the con- all at one time. That said, it’s 2.5% spending increase in farm to here,” he said. “They chased an existing shop, The versation at Saturday’s legisla- also exhausting.” education funding, as well as are all pretty tight. We have to Garden of Eden, on B Avenue tive forum at the Washington He explained that Valen- prepare them all and get them an additional $7.6 million for where The Raven’s Nest is now County Courthouse. tine’s Day and Mother’s Day transportation equity for rural in buckets of water. They have State Sens. Kevin Kinney are the two busiest holidays of to sit for three or four days be- schools. and Rich Taylor, both Demo- the year for florists. fore they’re ready to go.” SEE FLOWERS | PAGE 6A crats, and State Reps. Jarad Klein and Joe Mitchell, both SEE FORUM | PAGE 2A PAGE 2A | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 NEWS THE NEWS FORUM/Continued from Page 1A Lone Tree’s Squiers “That’s $239,000 for the Mid- FhW_h_[iY^eebZ_ijh_Yj_djhWdi- fehjWj_ed [gk_jo"º Ab[_d iW_Z$ OK’d for retirement “We want to make sure rural districts get a fair shake.” LONE TREE expenses. Taylor lamented that the The Lone Tree school board The board approved the re- 2.5% increase “doesn’t keep up tirement request without dis- approved Athletic Director and with inflation.” cussion. coach Tom Squiers for early re- Highland school board “Thirty-two years is quite member said that the district tirement at its meeting Feb. 12. a lot,” board member Mike At an earlier meeting, the has had to make cuts because Waldschmidt said. state funding has dwindled board approved an early retire- “You do a lot for the school,” over the years. ment package offered to teach- board member Joe Williams “It’s still less than the 3.35% ers and staff in the district. said to Squiers who attended we need for the school,” Engel The retirement package is an the meeting but did not com- incentive, which lowers salary ment. said. “We used to have four principals and a full-time su- perintendent. Now, we have PET OF THE WEEK two principals and a half-time superintendent.” GWEN A school official from Wash- ington added, “We need 3.2% in Washington to break even.” Ab[_d iW_Z j^Wj b[]_ibWjehi JAMES JENNINGS/THE NEWS understand the needs of the State Sen. Kevin Kinney (D-Tiffin) speaks during Saturday’s legisla- schools, but those needs are tive forum at the Washington County Courthouse. weighed against other needs in it would still need to be ap- the state. that to men.” He also pointed out that proved by the Legislature Mitchell said that he favors education still takes up the ma- again in 2021 or 2022 before go- more access to birth control. jority of the state budget. ing to a statewide vote. “We all want less unplanned The State Senate has pro- “We’re starting to tell a pregnancies,” he said. posed a 2.1% increase in educa- one-third co-equal branch of Ab[_d iW_Z ^[ \Wlehi j^[ tion funding. government what they can and amendment. “We’re still in negotiations YWd¼j Ze"º iW_Z A_dd[o" m^e “I’m pro-life,” he said. “Life m_j^j^[I[dWj["ºAb[_diW_Z$ voted against the amendment. begins at conception.” The lawmakers also “We’re starting to get into Ab[_d WZZ[Z j^Wj" _\ j^[ weighed in on a proposed murky waters.” amendment is twice approved amendment to the Iowa Con- Taylor, who also voted by the Legislature, the voters stitution that states a women’s against the amendment, said, of the state will get the final right to an abortion is not guar- “Healthcare is not the govern- say. anteed. The measure passed in ment’s business. It’s not my “This does not get done in a the Senate last week. business to make your health- vacuum,” he said. “It will go to SUBMITTED If passed by the House, care decisions. We don’t do a vote of the people.” This week’s Paws & More pet of the week is Gwen. Gwen is an adult female Vizsla mix who is described as a “Classic Family Dog.” This means she is loyal, trusting, and obedient to her people. Gwen lost GRANTS/Continued from Page 1A her home about a year ago due to a larger female dog moving in who threatened her.