Page 1 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 9-16-2015

Hummingbirds
Weather
Mostly sunny Sat. & Sun. with a chance of an
isolated T-storm on Fri. High of 73 degrees Sun.
USPS 117-120 VOL. 145 Issue 37
Clear Lake City gives VFW okay to develop plan for veterans memorial
Mirror-Reporter
CALENDAR
Wednesday
Meet the chief
The public is invited to at-
tend an open house to meet the
new Clear Lake Police Chief,
Pete Roth, on Wednesday, Sept.
16, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The
open house will be held in the
Council Chambers at City Hall,
15 N. 6th St. Refreshments will
be served.
Thurs. - Sat.
All class reunion
The Clear Lake Commu-
nity School Foundation and
Alumni Association will once
again sponsor the annual All
Class Reunion, Sept. 17-19.
The event originated in 2011
with a goal of providing schol-
arships for Clear Lake schools.
Admission is $40, including a
catered banquet Saturday eve-
ning, which is the main event,
but the Surf will be open each
day for registration. The bonus
is a silent auction and a live auc-
tion; proceeds go to the Alumni
Scholarship Endowment. There
will be numerous donated items
available again this year.
Saturday
Farmers Market
The Clear Lake Farmers
Market is held from 9 a.m. to
noon Saturdays in the Surf Ball-
room parking lot, 460 North
Shore Drive. Fresh fruits and
vegetables, as well as baked
goods and handcrafted prod-
ucts are available for purchase.
Meet the author
Clear Lake High School
alumnus Dave Ellingson has
authored a book, “Paddle Pil-
continued JANICE NELSON
More CALENDAR
on page 2
Inside
Opinion..................4-5
Weather.................... 5
Sports................13-15
Legals................17-18
Classifieds.........18-19
The lake level dropped
.96” to its new reading of
+4.56”. Last year at this
time the lake measured
+0.96” above the weir.
Mail: 12 N. 4th St.,
Clear Lake, IA 50428
Telephone: 641-357-2131
Fax: 641-357-2133
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clreporter.com
@CLReporter
Pg. 11
More weather on page 5.
Sept. 16, 2015
Concept for former water
tower site will be created
The Clear Lake City Council, on a 4-1 vote,
has given its approval for V.F.W. Post 4868 leaders
to explore design ideas to locate a veterans memo-
rial at the former downtown water tower site.
The Council met Tuesday, Sept. 8, in regu-
lar session. Placement of the item on the agenda
was the first time since early summer. The issue
has been in discussion for more than a year and at
Homecoming
Hoopla
Clear Lake High School students enjoyed a great Homecoming Week. New
activities, as well as a few revived from year’s past, took place, including a
Homecoming parade (pictured above). High School and Middle School
bands, along with Homecoming royalty, student floats and honored guests
made their way from the school to City Park for a community pep rally before
Friday’s football games.
(Right) Cooper Merrill and Erin O’Tool were crowned as the CLHS King
and Queen.
See more Homecoming photos on page 8.
For the love of gardening
Nelson celebrates 65 years with
Clear Lake Friendly Garden Club
Serving Clear Lake and Ventura since 1869 • Hometown newspaper of Gus & Janet Erickson $1.50
one time involved a citizen task force which ulti- with design concepts, site preparation and other work on the issue said those planning the memo-
mately became deadlocked and was unable to give professional insight into the project. rial need a location in order to finalize details.
the Council a recommendation for location of a Council representative Gary Hugi was the “It’s a long way from being a done deal, but
memorial. only member of the Council to vote against the we seemingly have come up with an outline on
At the meeting, VFW Post Commander motion. Hugi said he would need to see a site that location of something, that if professionally
Mike Nelson asked the council for their approval plan with dimensions, how much area the memo- designed and financed could work,” said Calla-
to earmark the former water tower site for the me- rial will use, and be assured that it will not affect nan. “This has been a contentious issue for quite
morial. He requested that the city donate the land the view of the lake. some time. We all feel its time to move forward.”
to construct the memorial and asked that RDG Mayor Nelson Crabb, at-large Councilman Any final design would have to be approved
Consultants, or a similar alternate, be named as Mike Callanan and City Administrator Scott Flo- by a vote of the council.
a consulting firm to assist the city and the VFW ry, who have met with VFW leaders and others to
Brant will run for
Ward 3 Council seat
Dana Brant has announced
his plan to seek re-election to the
Clear Lake City Council. Due to
re-districting based upon current
census information, the current
Ward One representative is now
seeking the Ward Three Council
position.
If elected, this will be Brant’s
second term on the Council.
“I’m a person who finds solu-
tions to problems and brings this
focus towards constantly helping
make our City a better place to
live, work and play,” said Brant.
DANA BRANT “The City has gained a great deal
of momentum during the past four years and I’m looking forward
to helping deal with the challenges and opportunities we’ll face
during the next four.”
Thursday, Sept. 17, is the deadline to file nomination papers
in the office of the county auditor. Current Ward Three represen-
tative Jim Boehnke has stated he intends to seek re-election, but
has not yet filed his nomination papers with the county.
Performing arts
troupe plans to
leave Arts Center
The curtain appears to be falling on Kitchen Sink Productions
at the Clear Lake Arts Center. However, local performers say they
are ready to take their talents in a new direction.
Clear Lake Arts Center Executive Director Paula Hanus con-
firmed The Kitchen Sink drama group is spinning off from the
Arts Center. The Arts Center Board met Thursday and discussed
the internal program.
All Kitchen Sink shows, previously scheduled at the Arts Cen-
ter for the remainder of the year have been cancelled.
“This was a decision by Kitchen Sink to gain greater creative
freedom and financial flexibility. Kitchen Sink is growing in both
numbers of participants and shows and this gives them freedom to
manage their own budget, fundraising and choice of venues when
some shows could use a larger venue,” said Hanus. “We see this
Janice Nelson says she has always ucation of its members, through speakers as a positive sign of the vitality of the Clear Lakes arts community.
loved gardening— from the days when and sharing. As it evolved, service proj- The Arts Center will still put on drama shows like the recent sum-
she would help her mother in the gar- ects, such as the planting and tending of mer production of The Importance of Being Earnest produced in
den to the planting and tending of her local flower beds became common club partnership with Central Gardens.”
own flower and produce gardens. And activities. Flower shows and educational Laura Wilson, who has directed the group for the past 12
as much as she has enjoyed the vegetables programs were also calendar highlights, years, said she and more than 25 volunteers who have appeared in
she’s raised or the flowers she has grown along with the social connection the club shows, plan to pursue a local community theater.
and displayed, the gardening brother- provides for women in the community. “We currently have no venue, but our enthusiasm is high and
hood she has found in a local club has Nelson says she has made many I believe we will have a stage,” she said.
been the most satisfying. friends through gardening— not only Wilson submitted a Letter to the Editor concerning her de-
Today, just like she has done for the with members of the club, but with parture from volunteer involvement in productions at the Arts
past 65 years, Janice will attend a month- neighbors and others who have stopped Center which appears on page 4 in this edition of the Mirror-
ly meeting of the Clear Lake Friendly by to admire her gardens over the years. Reporter.
Garden Club. The group has deep roots “I’ve had many, many gardens— Jaclyn Garlock, who has been involved with the Cup O’ Joe
in the community. At this meeting mem- vegetable and flowers. Gardening has productions at the Arts Center since its 2003 beginning, submit-
bers will share memories, as well as con- always stayed with me,” said Janice. “It’s ted her resignation from the Arts Center Board on Friday. Gar-
tinue to plant the seeds of gardening suc- where I have found peace. I talk to my- lock said her decision was not solely based on the decision to cut
cess with each other and the community. self and to the Lord.” the performing arts program. She declined to elaborate, but said
Mirror-Reporter archives trace the Like most, Janice got her start gar- she intends to remain involved with community theater in Clear
history of the club back to 1937 when dening from her mother, who grew veg- Lake.
ladies from Fertile, Iowa started a group. etables for the family table. “I remember “We have felt for the last year or so that as the Kitchen Sink
In 1941 there was so much interest that her telling us we needed to shuck a pail players were wanting to grow the theater program, we were be-
Clear Lake women started their own of peas before we would get to go swim- coming more of an obstacle to rental scheduling, than an asset, so
club. The mission of the club was the ed- it would be best to give the Arts Center the space it needs,” said
See GARDENER on page 2 Garlock.
According to the Clear Lake Arts Center website, last
year, more than 120 Kitchen Sink volunteers donated close
to 4,000 hours to produce two Cup O’ Joe Shows, two Non-
semble performances, an Olde Fashioned Radio Show -
KOJO, a Halloween Show and two high school performances.
“We expect the unique production-style of Kitchen Sink fea-
tured in Cup O’ Joe productions to continue in Clear Lake under
See PERFORMING ARTS on page 2