Page 1 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 12-23-2015

Weather
Rain/snow mix possible on Friday and switching
to just snow for Saturday.
USPS 117-120 VOL. 145 Issue 51
Clear Lake
Mirror-Reporter
CALENDAR
Friday
Christmas dinner
The United Methodist
Church, 508 2nd Ave. N., will
host the annual IFCA Com-
munity Christmas Dinner on
Friday, Dec. 25. A delicious
family-style meal will be served
from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
There is no charge for the meal,
but a free-will offering will be
accepted to help defray the cost
of the meal. An elevator is lo-
cated at the northeast entrance
(rear) of the church. Carryouts
are not available.
Saturday
Blood drive
This holiday season, start
a tradition of saving lives. Just
one blood donation can help
save the lives of up to three dif-
ferent hospital patients and will
help ensure families in our com-
munity enjoy one more holiday
with their loved one. Plan to
give your life-saving gift at an
upcoming blood drive. A Clear
Lake Community Blood Drive
will be held Saturday, Dec. 26,
from 8 - 10:30 a.m. at Clear
Lake Christian Church, 302
Highway 18 West. Schedule a
blood donation appointment
online at lifeservebloodcenter.
org or call 800-287-4903.
Monday
Library event
The public is invited to
come enjoy the wonders of
winter in the Children’s Depart-
continued
More CALENDAR
on page 2
Inside
Opinion..................4-5
Weather.................... 5
Sports................15-18
Legals..................... 19
Classifieds.........20-21
The ice was declared officially
in on Saturday, Dec. 19. Just
five days short of setting a
new record for latest ice-in on
record. The last reading of the
Lake Level was +5.16” above
the weir.
Mail: 12 N. 4th St.,
Clear Lake, IA 50428
Telephone: 641-357-2131
Fax: 641-357-2133
Email: office@clreporter.com
Website: www.clreporter.com
@CLReporter
Celebrate more for less at Lake Chevrolet
Additional Bonus Tag Cash
on select 2015 vehicles in stock
www.LakeChev.com
3005 Willow Creek Ct., Clear Lake (641) 357-2612
More weather on page 5. Santa
Letters
Pages 6, 12-13
Dec. 23, 2015 Serving Clear Lake and Ventura since 1869 • Hometown newspaper of Tom & Julie Pueggel $1.50
School Board
votes to end
superintendent
sharing plan
Clear Lake High School Assistant Principal Dale Ludwig (left) and Principal Chris Murphy were on the receiving end of several shaving cream pies The Clear Lake School Board has voted unanimously to pur-
thrown by students Tuesday morning in celebration of reaching their fundraising goal for The Giving Tree. Here, junior Nico McPherren delivers a sue the hiring of its own superintendent for the 2016-17 school
blow.-Reporter photos by Chris Barragy. year.
On a 5-0 vote Wednesday, Dec. 16, board members decided
The season to discontinue sharing the superintendent position with Mason
City. Anita Micich has served as the leader of the two school dis-
of Giving tricts since a sharing agreement was reached in 2010. Mason City
will continue to hold Micich’s contract, which runs through June
Clear Lake High School students spent much of their Student/Family Services Coordinator Sally Duesenberg (left) leads the applause as 30, 2016.
final day of school before the holiday break celebrating teacher Mike Lester presents a $560 check to Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter Publisher School Board members have been discussing the possibility
the season and each other in a variety of fun activities. Mike Finnegan for The Giving Tree. At right is school nurse Julie Livingston, who of hiring their own superintendent for more than a year and have
An assembly was held in the gymnasium Tuesday morn- brought The Giving Tree idea to the Mirror-Reporter 26 years ago with retailer Valores made a conscious effort to study ways to put aside the additional
ing to kick off the fun day. A key piece of the pro- Young. -Reporter photo funds the district will need to spend for its own leader.
gram was the presentation of a check for $560 to Clear In another unanimous vote, the Board showed its support for
Lake Mirror-Reporter Owner/Publisher Mike Finnegan continuing to share its IT and food service directors with Mason
to benefit The Giving Tree. The tree, in its 26th year, City in the 2016-17 school year. Clear Lake holds the contract
benefits local families who sign up for a little help dur- for IT Director Jason Christenson and Food Service Director Lora
ing the holiday season. Community members purchase Jenson. Unlike the superintendent sharing plan, there are no state
gifts and food cards for those represented by ornaments incentive dollars available for sharing IT or food service leaders.
on the tree. The morning program also included recog- However, both districts have realized savings by making bulk pur-
nition of academic and extra-curricular success, a dance chases, according to the boards.
featuring teachers and more fun. The Mason City School Board met Monday night, Dec. 21,
to discuss the sharing agreements. That board voted unanimously
Record ice-in hits a snag, for now to continue to share IT Director Jason Christenson. Including
Remember that commercial that said, endlessly throughout November and De- date,” he said. salary and benefits, Christensen is paid $128,235. The board
“Don’t mess with Mother Nature?” cember, decided to take a rest. The freeze, thaw and re-freeze has oc- chose to table a decision about food service director Lora Jenson
Last week it seemed all but certain that “Ice-in” was declared by officials at the curred before, according the Fredriksen. until its Jan. 18 meeting. Jenson receives salary and benefits total-
a new record for a late “ice-in” date would Water Treatment Plant on Saturday, Dec. Records show that in 1987 the lake ing $124,585. Both of those salaries are currently paid on a 60:40
be set. After all, unseasonably warm weather 19. opened up on Dec. 12 and 13 before refreez- split between Mason City and Clear Lake.
had kept Clear Lake ice-free and there was But wait! ing on Dec. 14 and 15. In 1988, the lake
no signs of it letting up. The record late ice- According to Paul Fredriksen, superin- opened up due to high winds on Nov. 27, Three announce
in date of Dec. 24, 2001 was all but on the tendent of the Water Department, a record before refreezing on Nov. 28. In 1994, the retirements from
way out. may still be in our grasp. lake was partially frozen on Dec. 1, but fi- Clear Lake Schools
But Mother Nature had other plans. “Due to predicted warm weather this nally froze over on the 10th, he said.
Saturday, Dec. 19, temperatures dipped week, the lake may open up. When the lake So will there be a record ice-in? Only One Clear Lake administrator and two longtime teachers
and the winds, which have seemed to gust does refreeze, that will then be the official Mother Nature knows for sure. have decided to accept the school district’s early retirement incen-
tive package.
Clear Creek Elementary School Principal Mike Barkley, along
with physical education instructor and coach Gary Weber and
special education teacher Gerilynn Berding have announced their
intention to retire at the end of the school year.
Barkley joined the school district in August 1994. Berding
began her employment with Clear Lake Schools in August 1986
and Weber joined in 1988.
The Clear Lake School Board formerly approved their re-
quests at their regular meeting Wednesday, Dec. 16.
The incentive package includes either four years of School
District Health insurance or until the employee attains the age
of Medicare eligibility, whichever comes first. In addition, they
receive their salary, minus the amount of a BA1 salary, which is
placed in a 403(b)-Special Pay Plan. According to Board Secretary
Lorna Leerar, the BA1 salary is approximately $20,000.
Shop With A Cop brings
officers and students together
Thirty youngsters from Clear Lake and Shop With A Cop nights and said she was Accompanying Jaxon Schroeder on his shopping experience was Jodie McChesney (center) and Police Officer Dean
Ventura had the opportunity to do some touched by the great thought students were Anderson
Christmas shopping for themselves and oth- putting into their gifts and their excitement
ers at the second annual Shop With a Cop to share with others.
event. This year the Clear Lake Police Be- Clear Lake Police Chief Pete Roth said
nevolence Association program grew to in- local officers were thrilled to be able to help
clude students from Ventura, a community some of the community’s youngsters. “Our
which the Clear Lake Police Department thanks to Al and Shelly at Larson’s, along
also serves. Over two nights, 20 Clear Lake with great sponsors. The officers, parents and
and 10 Ventura students were accompanied kids all enjoyed it. Smiles were everywhere.”
on a shopping trip at Larson’s Mercantile in The program was done in partnership
Clear Lake. with Clear Lake Schools, assisted by Stu-
Benevolence fundraisers allowed each dent/Family Services Coordinator Sally Due-
child to pick out something they need, senberg, and Larson’s. Additional sponsors
something they would like, and something were: Clear Lake Bank & Trust, Wilcox Fur-
for someone else at Larson’s Mercantile in niture, Design Studio, Clear Lake Chamber
downtown Clear Lake. The Benevolence of Commerce and Kwik Star.
Fund was also impacted by a sizable donation “Building and improving relationships
made by the Clear Lake Rotary Club, which between the police department and the com-
had conducted a fundraiser with proceeds di- munity was important to Chief McChesney
rected to the Benevolence Fund in memory and it continues to be emphasized by Chief
of former police chief Rex McChesney. His Roth and the department,” Duesenberg not-
wife, Jodie McChesney attended one of the ed.