Grand Junction 'Lincoln Highway Day' July 28

THEME IS ‘LOCOMOTING ALONG THE LINCOLN’  

The annual Grand Junction Fun Day has been renamed “Lincoln Highway Day” to celebrate the town’s Lincoln Highway heritage.
 
Theme for the Saturday, July 28, day-long event is “Locomoting Along the Lincoln Highway,” which embraces the significance of the railroad and automobile transportation in building and developing Grand Junction.
 
A number of events are planned for Lincoln Highway Day including an 11 a.m. parade down Main Street, which is the route of the original Lincoln Highway that went across the United States from coast-to-coast and was later renamed U.S. Highway 30.
 
A highlight of Lincoln Highway Day will be the new Lincoln Highway Visitor’s Center on Main Street, which will soon open in the former Watts Building at 201 East Main. The center will feature materials and information that promote the heritage of the Lincoln Highway in Grand Junction and Greene County.
 
Visitors will also be directed to the new signage at the Lincoln Highway Historic Bridges Interpretive Center at the east edge of Grand Junction where the Lincoln Highway intersects with U.S. Highway 30. The signage outlines the building of the highway and makes note of the significant role played by Greene County in making the highway a reality.
 
A committee of East Greene graduates is planning an "All-EG Reunion" that evening at Ferg’s on Highway 30 in Grand Junction. Other activities include a performance by the Off the Track Players, a noon meal on Hager Street between the Methodist and Presbyterian churches with musical entertainment, free admission to Kennedy’s Museum, an evening ice cream social, games for kids, and other activities.
 
A spokesperson for the event said parade participants are urged to incorporate the theme for their entries by using any of the related topics, including trains, locomotives, cars, highways, movement, transportation and even the highway namesake himself—Abraham Lincoln.

 

Joint School Boards to Meet March 28

AGENDA INCLUDES GJ SCHOOL REMODELING
 
East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton school boards will hold a joint meeting on Wednesday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Junction building.
 
Agenda items are sports sharing, remodeling the Grand Junction building, and a timeline for reorganizing the districts.

EG Board Makes More Sharing Decisions

PHASE-OUT OF RIPPEY BUILDING BEGINS IN FALL

The future of education in eastern Greene County looked a little clearer after adjournment of the East Greene school board meeting Wednesday night.

The board moved forward on the remodeling of the Grand Junction building, transforming it from an under-used 6-12 facility to a fully-functioning pre kindergarten-fourth grade elementary facility for the East Greene district and an intermediate school for fifth and sixth grade students from both East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton districts.

As part of the transition process, the board dealt with the difficult task of closing the Rippey building.
 
Rippey resident Ned Johnston asked that the board be respectful of the wishes of the Rippey community in not letting the building become an abandoned eyesore as the district moves forward with plans to phase out the facility. Johnston made note of the situation with the former school building in Bagley, which was sold to a private owner but it is now in a state of serious disrepair. Estimated costs now to raze the Bagley building are between$50,000 and $75,000.

Johnston also asked the board of the long-term viability of the Grand Junction building, considering the price tag for remodeling is $2 million. President Marc Hoffman had just explained that the decision-making process of the board is to lead the East Greene district into reorganization with Jefferson-Scranton, forming a new Greene County Community School District. Johnston noted that a consultant hired by the boards to advise them on whole grade sharing and then possible reorganization alluded to the possible future construction of a new middle school (grades 5-8) to be built in Jefferson.

Superintendent Mike Harter said at this time a bond issue election to build such a school in Jefferson is not likely in the foreseeable future. He also explained that the bonds issued to pay for the remodeling project in the Grand Junction building are for 20 years, but the funding is actually from the district’s share of the local options sales tax (LOST), which is money that goes from a statewide pool of collected sales taxes back to each public school district in the state.

Johnston urged the board to include money in the district budget to provide for the costs of razing the Rippey building. The board assured him that would be the case.

Board member David Tipton suggested the district keep its options open for this fall in case the remodeling project in Grand Junction is not complete and the Rippey space will be needed. Tipton also expressed doubt that all the students will fit in the Grand Junction building. The estimated number of students using the building for next school year is between 275 and 300.

The Rippey building’s gymnasium will be used for the final year of East Greene high school athletics and possibly for junior high games for what becomes Greene County Middle School in Jefferson this fall. A recent joint board meeting between East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton indicated interest from the Jefferson-Scranton board to schedule games away from the Greene County Community Center in Jefferson as it takes away from the community use of the facility, and gymnasiums will be available in Scranton and Rippey.

Jefferson-Scranton uses one gymnasium for its high school and middle school, the facility adjacent to the middle school building at South Vine and Monroe streets. The gym as the high school is a practice facility only. So many middle school and high school junior varsity games are played in the community center’s gym, as it is across the street from the middle school.

In another twist on the sport sharing, however, the board voted to cease offering a separate girls high school sports program for East Greene effective with the start of softball in May. The board also rescinded a vote on sharing all middle school sports beginning this softball-baseball season, and voted this time to keep East Greene junior high baseball for boys this summer in Rippey but proceed with the junior high softball sharing, effective at the start of the season in May.

Then the board officially voted to end offering a separate East Greene sports program for high school boys after completion of next year’s baseball season, 2012-13. The fall season that begins the 2013-14 school year will see combined East Greene and Jefferson-Scranton boys sports teams competing as Greene County.

However, decisions on a team nickname and school colors for a combined EG-JS for 2013-14 have not been decided. As for next year, 2012-13, with the high school girls sharing with JS, but boys being separate, it appears that all junior high teams and girls varsity will compete as Jefferson-Scranton, unless the two board make an official decision to call the teams Jefferson-Scranton/East Greene (or vice versa) or to go forward with the middle school sports teams reflecting the name of the school building, Greene County Middle School.

The wrestling program offered at J-S the last several seasons has included members form East Greene and Paton-Churdan and competed as JSPCEG. J-S and Paton-Churdan have shared football for many years as JSPC.

Business director Shawn Angell reviewed with the board some of the documentation needed for the board to proceed working with Piper Jaffray in issuing the bonds to finance the remodeling project.

The board also reviewed the 2012-13 budget before setting a date for the annual public hearing for April 11 as part of the regular meeting.

In other business, the board:
*Approved provisional school drivers’ licenses for Karlan Langfitt, Dylan Lansman and Max Neese.
*Reviewed the open enrollment follow-up survey process. Several years ago the district began offering survey to the parents of students who open enrolled out of the district.
*Set a joint board meeting with Jefferson-Scranton for Wednesday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Junction building.

City to Hold Community Meeting Monday, April 2

UPDATES, PLANS FOR NEW COMMUNITY CENTER

Grand Junction city officials will hold a community-wide meeting on Monday, April 2, at 6 p.m. in the community center on Main Street to discuss the proposed new community center and fire station project planned for Main Street.

Mayor Gerald Herrick, city council members, city clerk, city treasurer, and Grand Junction Fire & Rescue officials will be present to update the community on the progress of clearing the space on Main Street, which spans the block from 202 East Main to 214 East Main, which is the south side of the block opposite Peoples Trust and Savings Bank and the Watts Building.

City and fire department officials will be announcing the launch date for the Grand Junction area capital campaign to raise funds for the new facility; an update of current funds on hand; and additional financing options available to the city and fire department.

The city asks you bring any concerns or questions you have about the project to the meeting. For more information, contact City Hall at 515-738-2585.

Ostrander Named Unanimous All-Conference

HAWKETTE, TWO HAWKS GET HONORABLE MENTION

Reed Ostrander, East Greene’s 6-3 junior center, was a unanimous first team All-Rolling Hills Conference basketball pick for the 2012 season.

Ostrander paced the Hawks to a spot in the district championship game and an upper division finish in the Rolling Hills. East Greene graduated eight players off last year’s conference runner-up team. No one predicted the Hawks would advance further in the post-season tournament than last year, as only one starter (Ostrander) and one key reserve (junior Tory Beger) returned.

The Hawks were the surprise team of the league and finished in fifth place (9-9) for a second consecutive upper-division finish. EG earned the No. 2 seed among 10 teams in District 6 and the Hawks lived up to the billing with a spot in the championship game, where they fell to perennially strong Guthrie Center, 65-36.

Ostrander led the league in scoring, 19.7 points per game; rebounding, 15.3 per game; and blocked shots, 5.1 per game.

East Greene juniors Tory Beger and Wyatt Beaman were named all-conference honorable mention.

Also named unanimously to the Rolling Hills first team were seniors Zach Himmelberg of league champion Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton, Ryan Aupperle of CAM (Anita), and Andrew Mueller of Iowa Christian Academy (West Des Moines).

Himmelberg, EEHK’s senior 6-6 center, was named to the Iowa Newspaper Association Class 1A All-State Second Team this week. The only other area players honored in Class 1A or 2A were Nick Clark, first team, and Neil Flattery, second team, both from St. Edmond (Fort Dodge), runner-up in the Class 2A state tournament, and Michael Carney, second team, from Des Moines Christian (Urbandale), the West Central Conference champion.

Clark, a 6-0 senior guard, was named to the Des Moines Register Class 2A All-State First Team and Carney, also a 6-0 senior guard, was named to the Register’s 2A All-State Third Team. No area players were named to the Register’s all-state teams in Class 1A.

Rolling Hills All-Conference Boys Basketball 2012

First Team

Reed Ostrander, Jr., East Greene*
Ryan Aupperle, Sr., CAM (Anita)*
Dan Holse, Sr., CAM (Anita)
Andrew Mueller, Sr., Iowa Christian Academy (West Des Moines)*
Zach Himmelberg, Sr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton*
Dayton Rasmussen, Sr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton
Ben Taylor, Jr., Ankeny Christian Academy
Lucas Blum, Sr., Walnut

Second Team

Spencer Smith, Sr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton
Jared Ploen, Sr., Walnut
Josh Johnson, Sr., Glidden-Ralston
T.J. Rude, Sr., Iowa Christian
Aaron Brown, Sr., Orient-Macksburg
Cole Palmer, Sr., Adair-Casey
Spencer Rocholz, Jr., Adair-Casey
Alec Tonemah, Sr., Ankeny Christian

Honorable Mention

Jake Carey, Fr., Paton-Churdan

Wyatt Beaman, Jr., East Greene
Tory Beger, Jr., East Greene
Jake Bruggeman, Soph., Glidden-Ralston
Nick Davis, Sr., Orient-Macksburg
Alex Umbaugh, Jr., Adair-Casey
Ian Hunt, Sr., CAM
Trevor McKee, Jr., CAM
Preston Waymire, Sr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

HANNAH ONKEN GETS HONORALBE MENTION NOD

Freshman center Hannah Onken paced the Hawkettes’ inside game this season and earned all-Rolling Hills honorable mention. In 18 league games, she averaged 10.2 points and 12.2 rebounds a game. Her rebounding average was just behind Iowa Christian senior Karlie Schut, who had 12.3 rebounds a game. Schut, who led the league in scoring at 21.1 points per game, was named Class 1A First Team All-State by the Des Moines Register.

Maddy Peppers of conference champion Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton was named to the Register’ Class 1A all-state second team. Katie Dentlinger, Coon Rapids-Bayard, was a Class 1A third team pick.

Area teams with 2A picks to the Register’s teams were Tember Schechinger, IKM-Manning, first team, and Britny Halleland, Roland-Story, second team. Roland-Story is a member of the Heart of Iowa Conference along with Jefferson-Scranton.

Schechinger was also a first-team all-state pick in Class 2A by the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA). Also honored in 2A were two players from Kuemper (Carroll)—Lexi Albrecht, second team, and Madi Drees, third team. Olivia Godfrey, a Panorama sophomore, was a second-team pick. Panorama won the West Central Conference with an unblemished 18-0 record.

Dentlinger and teammate Mary Halverson were named to the INA’s Class 1A second team.

Rolling Hills All-Conference Girls Basketball 2012

First Team

Maddy Peppers, Sr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

Chansea Nelson, Jr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton
Quinn Ruth, Jr., Adair-Casey
London Vais, Soph., Adair-Casey
Emily Beerman, Jr., CAM (Anita)
Tessa Mittag, Sr., Orient-Macksburg
Ashli Walker, Soph., Walnut
Karlie Schut, Sr., Iowa Christian (West Des Moines)

Second Team

Kristin Klocksiem, Sr., Glidden-Ralston
Morgan Anstey, Sr., CAM
Katie Clarke, Jr., Adair-Casey
Macy James, Sr., Adair-Casey
Rachel  Smith, Fr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton
Shelby Roberts, Sr., Orient-Macksburg
Jenna Anderson, Sr., Iowa Christian
Erica Groen, Sr., Iowa Christian

Honorable Mention

Hannah Onken, Fr., East Greene
Breanne Gerwulf, Jr., Paton-Churdan
Marissa Minnehan, Fr., Paton-Churdan
Madison Laib, Soph., Ankeny Christian
Gabby Snyder, Soph., Ankeny Christian
Josie Anzalone, Soph., Walnut
Elizabeth Mailander, Sr., CAM
Emily Huntington, Soph., Orient-Macksburg
Jasmine Ruckman, Jr., Orient-Macksburg
Taylor Petersen, Sr., Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

Med Center Says 'Welcome Home, Baby!'

GCMC KICKS OFF YEAR-LONG 75^TH ANNIVERSARY

It’s Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one for the Greene County Medical Center as it launches a year-long 75^th anniversary celebration to mark the opening of the hospital on Dec. 30, 1937.

Events are planned from now until the end of 2012 to celebrate this milestone. This month a

Then....hospital of 1937

75 year timeline highlighting key points in the facility’s history was unveiled. A “Welcome Home, Baby” reception is planned for Saturday, March 31, for all 15,500 plus babies born at the medical center over the past 75 years.

While it is impossible to even contemplate sending personal invitations, GCMC officials say this will be an “invitation” only event with a birth certificate as an invitation. RSVPs are being sought and several venues for doing so will be available over the next couple of weeks. The medical center has set up a special email (welcomehomebaby@gcmchealth.com) for those born at the center to send their intentions for attending. A “Welcome Home, Baby” hotline has also been set up to take RSVPs at 515-386-9891. The medical center’s 75^th anniversary committee is also encouraging any special birth stories to be shared this way.

Now....medical center of 2012.

“I encourage those who are reading this to share this event information with others outside of the area who were born at Greene County Medical Center so they can make plans to attend,” says Carla Offenburger, GCMC community relations director . “While we will be doing state-wide media plugs on the event, we understand word-of-mouth may be our best tool.”

GJ GCMC ANNIVERSARY PICNIC AUG. 15 @ CITY PARK

Lori Herrick of Grand Junction, a GCMC employee, met with the Grand Junction City Council at its January meeting to outline the upcoming events for the 75^th anniversary in advance of the official press launch late last month. She outlined a series of celebration picnics planned for communities throughout the county. Each picnic would offer free food, activities and music.

At the Feb. 13 council meeting, her sister, Linda Hoffman, a council member, informed the council that the picnic in Grand Junction will be held Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the City Park on Elizabeth Street on the south edge of Grand Junction. The Greene County Beef Producers will provide the meal.

Offenburger says community picnics are also being planned during the summer months in Scranton, Churdan, Paton, Rippey and Jefferson. The Paton picnic will Tuesday, June 4, and the Jefferson picnic on Wednesday, June 20. Other dates and times will be announced when confirmed.

A grand finale open house at the medical center will be held in November.

Additional medical events will complement this year long celebration, including the publication of a medical center magazine in April and again in October. The medical center is also in the process of rebranding and recently unveiled a new color scheme, logo and message.

“Our 75th year is a great time for the medical center to go through its own ‘rebirthing’ process with new colors, logo and message,” says Karen Bossard, GCMC administrator.

Grand Junction Fire Station-Community Center, Main Street Rehab Project Moves Forward

CITY HIRES FIRM TO DRAW UP PRELIMINARY PLANS

Grand Junction City Council approved hiring Snyder & Associates, Atlantic, to draw up preliminary design plans for the new fire station and community center. Council voted unanimously Feb. 13 to spend $6,400 to have Tim Teig of Snyder & Associates prepare a site plan, floor plan and street-view drawing of the proposed facility to be built on Main Street opposite Peoples Trust and Savings Bank.

Teig met with the council to outline his proposal to prepare the materials, which will incorporate preliminary discussions among city and fire department officials, Teig and representatives from building firms held in December and January. Snyder will prepare materials that incorporate “the size of the building, floor plan design, and how the facility will reflect the design of the bank and [related] quality of construction,” said Teig.

After reviewing the materials, the next step will be for the city to hire a firm to prepare an actual cost estimate, says City Clerk Rita Jenkins.

Funding for the new fire station-community center facility is being grouped under a new “Downtown GJ Revitalization” line item on the city budget. LDC Grand Junction made the initial gift to the fund of $5,000.

Since then, the city has received a grant of $10,000 from Union Pacific Railroad and a $750 grant from Black Hills Energy. A grant request for $25,000 from Prairie Meadows was not funded.

Grant applications are being submitted this month to the Greene County Community Foundation to support the community center portion of the facility and Keep Iowa Beautiful to assist with tearing down the old buildings.

In other business at the Feb. 13 meeting, Curly Holz asked the city for permission to cut down three trees at his expense that front the parking of his property at the southeast corner of Bennett and South 12^th Streets. The parking areas are owned by the city.

“The trees are soft maples and pretty much hollow,” he said. “One has roots that get into my drain. They also make it difficult to get satellite television. The one directly to the west is the worst. The other two are on the south parking and at the southwest corner. With hollow trees and westerly winds that blow around here, I am worried they will blow over onto my house.”

Council agreed to allow Holz to remove the trees at his own expense.

In other business, the council:
*Discussed progress on the Lincoln Highway Welcome Center being developed in the front portion of the Watts Building and the spot for the Hair Junction in the rear of the building.
*Discussed progress toward completion by the Iowa DOT of the Lincoln Highway Interpretive Center at the intersection of Old 30 and U.S. Highway 30.
*Reviewed changes to the city’s dog ordinance.
*Met with City Treasurer Jackie Ostrander to discuss the 2012-13 budget and to set a date for the budget hearing.

Habitat for Humanity to Rehab GJ Home

VOLUNTEER EFFORT EXPANDS BEYOND JEFFERSON

Habitat for Humanity of Boone and Greene Counties will rehabilitate a home in Grand Junction as part of its extended outreach in Greene County.

Erich Kretzinger, executive director, Habitat for Humanity of Boone and Greene Counties, met with the Grand Junction City Council on February 12 to discuss repairing a home in Grand Junction.

“For the past 15 years we’ve building and repairing homes in Jefferson, but now we are looking to extend out to the other communities of Greene County,” said Kretzinger, who is based in Boone. “We always work with owner-occupied homes, and there is some sweat equity involved on the part of the homeowner. The homeowner pays the cost of the materials.”

Kretzinger said “we have a family ready to go in Grand Junction. Their insurance was cancelled last fall.” Repairing the home will make it insurable, which was not the case for the home destroyed by fire in the north part of Jefferson last fall that killed 18-year-old Cody Garreans-Walsh.

Kretzinger said Habitat of Humanity considers both younger families and the elderly in working to rehabilitate homes. “Family and friends can fill in to handle the ‘sweat equity’ share for the elderly home owners. And the families do not have to be debt-free,” he pointed out.

The outreach to towns around the county builds on a program formerly known as Brush with Kindness, but has since been changed to Helping Hands, said Kretzinger.

Habitat for Humanity relies on volunteer labor and support. Kretzinger said a call for volunteers will go out soon channeled through the local contacts for Habitat for Humanity.

Hawks Bow Out in District Final

FALL TO GUTHRIE CENTER, 65-36
 
This time, there was no magical late-game rally. East Greene dug itself into a hole in the third quarter and no comeback materialized, sending Guthrie Center on to the substate game with a commanding 65-36 victory in the district final Thursday night, Feb. 23, at Boone.
 
The Hawks hung with the veteran Tigers—a 2011 state tourney team—in the first half, trailing 12-9 in the first quarter and tying things up at 19 later in the half. Guthrie then outscored the Hawks 11-3 and took a 30-22 to lead into the locker room.
 
The Tigers, top seed in the district, then poured it on in the second half, building a 47-27 lead after three periods and coasting the rest of the way. The Hawks had no answer for Darren McGivney, who hit 5 three-pointers on his way to a 24-point performance.
 
EG shot a chilly 12-of-46 for 26% and its usually reliable long-range game was absent, as the Hawks connected on just 3-of-24 three-point shots. Reed Ostrander scored 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Hawks. He also had 4 blocks. No other Hawks hit double figures.
 
The Tigers nailed 27 of 62 attempts for 44% shooting. They also had the upper hand on the boards with a 44-31 advantage.
 
East Greene closed out the season at 12-11 while Guthrie Center advanced with 14-9 record. The Tigers were thumped by St. Mary’s of Storm Lake, 75-47, at Fort Dodge on Saturday, Feb. 25. The substate game was a rematch of last year’s clash in the semifinal round in state tournament in Des Moines, where St. Mary’s won 62-49 to advance to the state championship game, which the Panthers won over undefeated Danville 74-59.
 
Danville and St. Mary’s are back in the tourney again this year and hold down the top two seeds. St. Mary’s (25-0) takes on Lisbon (20-6) and Danville (25-0) squares off against St. Albert’s of Council Bluffs (14-10) on Monday, March 5. The two teams were ranked 1-2 throughout the 2011-12 season.
 
EYE ON GJ SAYS: The district final game was the final appearance on the court for five EG seniors—Broc Timm, Kelsey Coffin, Corey Gohn, Alex Dobney and Jacob Scanlon. Timm has played a key role of the bench alls season and started several games. All five of the seniors saw action in the Guthrie Center game.
 
The Hawks return the entire starting lineup from this year’s squad along with key reserve T.J. Lint. The other starters at Boone were juniors Tory Beger, Alex Gordon, Wyatt Beaman and sophomore Cody Hidelbaugh.
 
This week, Ostrander, a junior center, was named to the Rolling Hills Conference first team, one of two unanimous picks. Beger and Beaman were named all-conference honorable mention.
 
Conference foes Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton and CAM played in the district final at Clarinda, with EEHK getting the win, 51-42. The  Spartans moved to substate play with the chance to make a repeat trip the state tournament, but they were downed 49-41 by Nodaway Valley (Greenfield). EEHK finishes the season as conference and district champions for the second year in a row. The Spartans have compiled a 44-6 record the past two seasons.
 
2011-12 ROLLING HILLS CONFERENCE BOYS BASKETBALL
Final Conference and Regular Season Records
Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton  17-1                 22-2
CAM (Anita)                        15-3                 19-5
Ankeny Christian                  14-4                 16-7
Adair-Casey                          11-7                 13-9
East Greene                             9-9                 12-11
Orient-Macksburg                   7-11                 8-13
Iowa Christian                        7-11                 7-13
Glidden-Ralston                     6-12                 7-15
Walnut                                    4-14                 8-15
Paton-Churdan                        0-18                 0-20

Services Sunday for Lois (Jewett) Freerksen

GRAND JUNCTION NATIVE DIED MARCH 1

Memorial Services for Lois Freerksen, 91, of Jefferson formerly of Grand Junction will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 4, 2012, at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson. Burial will be in the Junction Township Cemetery, Grand Junction.  Memorials are suggested to the Opportunity Village in Clear Lake and may be left at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson.

The former Lois Jewett, she was born and raised in Grand Junction. She graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1938. She later returned to Grand Junction and built a new home in Neel's Addition. She was librarian at Grand Junction Public Library for many years and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Grand Junction.

Lois is survived by her son, David Foster, Sacramento, Calif.; daughter, Karen Luchsinger, Port Orange, Fla.; and sister, Dorothy Neel of Panora. She was preceded in death by her brother, Dale Jewett.