The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold the second and final public hearing concerning an Illegal Dumping Ordinance during their meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. Following the hearing, the Board will hold a second reading of the ordinance and move to adopt it, after waiving the third reading, assuming their are no objections.

In other business, the Supervisors will act on an extension of tax credits for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 (Homestead, Edlerly & disabled, Ag Land and Family Farm),  Expense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2013, including funding request appropriations if necessary, and, after receiving certifications from County officers for base salaries of their deputies and certifying those base salaries to Auditor Dale Sunderman, the Board will act on determining the compensation of “other employees” (meaning those not currently under a bargaining unit of other employment contracts).

The meeting begins at 9-a.m. in the Courthouse Board Room. Also getting underway at 9-a.m., in Greenfield, is a meeting of the Adair County Board of Supervisors. Members of the Board will act on: a Transfer Resolution; Notice of Vacancies and Intent to Appoint; and, an update to the Personnel Policy. They’ll also hear presentations from: Jack Reed, with Iowa Negotiations Services, LLC, with regard to services offered to the County; and, David Knapp, with ACES, with regard to a Backup Presentation and/or bid.

This Thursday evening (June 21st) marks the beginning of 2012’s “Third Thursday” Summer Concert Series, in Atlantic. Entertainment will be provided by “Dirt Road Acoustic Rehab,”  in the Atlantic City Park, from 5:30- to 8:30-p.m. Dirt Road Acoustic Rehab, a local country, rock, and blues band, frequently performs in venues around Stuart, Boone, Adel, and Panora. The group will play free of charge.

Every third Thursday in June, July, and August will feature music, arts, and produce in the park for the series, organized by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Audience members will need to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets to best enjoy the experience. Ready-to-eat meals will be available through local vendors. 

The Chamber says it is actively accepting applications from food producers and artisans who would like to set up shop during the events, an addition to the program for 2012. A partnership with the Cass County Food Policy Council, the sidekick effort is called Produce in the Park and will appeal to increasing numbers of health-conscious consumers, foodies, and sustainability enthusiasts.

On the roster for July is Travelin’ Light Band, a popular area rock ‘n’ roll group. August will feature a mix of local talents, headlined by hip hop artist Jesse Swanson (DJ Chaos), with a list of openers to be announced in July.More information on the concert series can be obtained through the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Master Gardener program is once again offering a series of summer webinars free to all local residents with an interest in gardening. The 2012 series is titled “Garden Goodness” and will be hosted by Iowa State University Extension county offices on the fourth Tuesday of each month, May through August. The Cass County Extension Office is a local host site.

Each session will provide information about vegetable gardening, from a variety of perspectives. The second presentation in the series is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26th. From 6:30-7:30 p.m. Angie Tagtow, environmental nutrition consultant,will discuss Food Gardening and Health. From 7:30-8:30 p.m. Denise Fikes, Mills County Extension horticulture assistant, will talk about Glenwood’s Giving Garden. Participants will watch the presentation live from campus, projected onto a large screen, and have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic with the presenter. There is no charge to attend the classes, and no requirements to attend the entire series. Local gardeners are encouraged to attend any session that catches their interest.

Upcoming dates, presenters and topics for the 2012 series are:

On July 24, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Linda Naeve will talk on the Peoples Garden Project and Working with Youth; from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Cindy Haynes will discuss Edible Ornamentals. Naeve is an ISU Extension value added agriculture specialist; Haynes is an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture and an ISU Extension consumer/urban horticulture specialist. The final session on August 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. will feature Angela Tedesco presenting the Top Ten Sustainable Gardening Tips from Turtle Farm. Tedesco is owner of Turtle Farm, an organic vegetable, fruit and herb CSA near Granger, Iowa.

The series, in its third year, is offered by Iowa Master Gardener program in response to requests for more Iowa gardening educational opportunities. The sessions are open to all interested gardeners; participants are not required to have completed Master Gardener training to attend, however the session will fulfill Master Gardener continuing education requirements.

Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required, to allow local staff to plan for appropriate accommodations. For more information, or to register, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, email keolson@iastate.edu, or stop by the Extension Office at 805 W. 10^th St in Atlantic.

The sheriff in northwest Iowa’s Ida County is asking for the public’s help in providing information, with regard to a fatal crash that occurred Monday afternoon on U.S. Highway 20, about two-miles east of Holstein.  Two people died in the fiery crash.  Authorities say the two people were in a car that had stopped about 1:25 p.m. Monday at a construction site on U.S. Highway 20 to wait for a pilot vehicle. The car was hit from behind by a semitrailer and pushed into the back of semitrailer that had stopped in front of the car. The crash victims were trapped inside as the car burst into flames. Their names have not been released. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash is being investigated. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or the events leading up to it, should call the Ida County Sheriff’s Office at 712-364-3146.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a public hearing Tuesday evening, to award contracts for the parking lot reconstruction project. The hearing begins at 5:30 in the Central Office Board Room, and will include the reading of a letter of recommendation from Estes Construction, followed by public input. After the hearing is closed, a special session will convene, during which the board will discuss and act on personnel matters, along with the awarding of a contract or contracts for the parking lot project.

Plans to reconstruct the tennis courts at Sunnyside Park in Atlantic continue to move forward, thanks to approval from the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said at Monday evening’s meeting of the Parks & Rec Board, that the USTA approved the plans last week. He says because the plans have been approved, the USTA will send the City an application for funding. Once that’s complete, Herring says he hopes to announce the letting of bids for the project within the next month. Herring said also, the City has “A shot at having some new courts, or at least starting on them, by this Fall.”

The tennis courts at Sunnyside Park are in poor condition, and need to be resurfaced, especially before district tennis action can be held. During their meeting on April 10th, the Atlantic Board of Education agreed to split the cost of resurfacing the tennis courts with the City, which in return will help with the future costs of refurbishing the Washington tennis courts. The USTA application should help the City to obtain a grant to pay for the Sunnyside court improvements, thereby reducing the costs.

On another note, Herring says improvements have been made to the tennis court restrooms. Instead of replacing the restrooms at a cost of about $200,000, Herring took some money from the Capital Improvements fund and the Sunnyside Park Improvement Fund, and “refurbished” the old restrooms. He says the toilets and sinks work fine, but the lighting was “absolutely horrendous.” Herring improved the lighting for as little as $60, by installing “vandal-proof” lights, which also increased the brightness. He says they also painted the restroom interior, which is something that had never been done. He said the concrete block “dungeon” look is gone, and it’s “100% better,” on the inside.” The restrooms will soon be open to the public.

The City of Atlantic’s Park and Rec Department Summer programs appear to be a big success. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said at Monday night’s Parks & Rec Board meeting, there are 25 kids involved in the Playground program, 130 signed-up for the tennis program, 60 in swimming, and 270 in Little League. He said all the kids are getting their lunch, the busing program is working well, and the playground crew had done a great job with keeping kids busy with various activities. The response he says from kids and their parents so far, has been very positive.

The Parks and Rec Board were so impressed with the way Herring has performed in his position since taking over last year, they voted unanimously to grant him a pay increase. Board Chair Stuart Dusenberry said he’s heard nothing but positive comments about Herring and his accomplishments.  Board member Jolene Smith says she thinks Herring “Does the work of 10 men,” and there’s things getting done “that have never gotten done before.”

Herring says despite hitting some potholes to progress along the way toward completion of various projects, such as dealing with the proposed Park Maintenance Building and the related hoops one must jump through to make that happen, he’s enjoyed the job immensely. Chris Jimerson, City Council representative on the Parks and Rec Board, says Herring’s “People Skills” are what sets him apart from some of the past persons who have held the position of Parks and Rec Director, especially when it comes to the City’s Little League Program, and dealing with those involved in helping to make it a success.