Page 1 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 3-2-2016
P. 1
New business pg. 8
Weather More weather on page 5.
Warming up on Sunday, with sunny skies and a
high of 50 degrees.
USPS 117-120 VOL. 146 Issue 9 March 2, 2016 Serving Clear Lake and Ventura since 1869 • Hometown newspaper of Todd & Amy Tesar $1.50
Clear Lake Duesenberg chosen as Clear Creek/Sunset principal
Mirror-Reporter
CALENDAR A longtime member of the Clear Lake Com- is excited to serve this district and the children, Micich said there were over 30 applicants spent nine years
munity School System has been chosen as the new families and staff at Clear Creek and Sunset,” said for the position and six were invited to interview working in spe-
Thursday principal for Clear Creek/Sunset Elementary. Micich. “Sally brings a depth of knowledge and on Feb. 22. Each applicant interviewed with the cial education at
School conferences Superintendent Anita Micich said she will experience in working as a teacher and as our At- Administrative Leadership Team, a Teacher/Staff Clear Lake Mid-
recommend current Student and Family Services Risk Coordinator in our school district. Her ef- Team from Clear Creek/Sunset, completed a writ- dle School before
Parent/Teacher Conferenc- Coordinator Sally Duesenberg succeed retiring forts have created lasting community connections ing sample and were given individual tours with becoming the dis-
es for Clear Lake High School principal Mike Barkley in the 2016-17 school to our schools. She truly has passion for children Principal Barkley. trict’s first Student
will be Thursday, March 3, from year. The School Board is expected to act on the and has a strong commitment as a leader who will Duesenberg is currently in her 21st year serv- and Family Ser-
4-8 p.m. During this time, recommendation at its March 9 meeting. continue to build positive relationships and guide ing the district. She started her career in education vices Coordinator
teachers will be available in their “I have offered the principal position to Sally teachers and staff in the work that happens on a as a para-educator, then returned to college to earn for grades kinder-
classrooms in the high school. Duesenberg and she has verbally accepted. She daily basis.” a degree in elementary and special education. She garten to 12 seven
Also during this time, represen- years ago. While
tatives from NIACC will have serving local stu-
tables set up in the hallways Monarch Mania! reaches Clear Lake dents and their
for parents/students to obtain families, Duesen-
information regarding financial berg continued SALLY DUESENBERG
aid, admission requirements/
process, NIACC PSEO courses Monarch Mania! has struck at Clear Creek her own education at the University of Northern
and any other post-secondary Elementary. Iowa. She was awarded a Master’s Degree in Edu-
options. With families’ hectic Helped by Todd Von Ehwegen, conservation cational Leadership in May 2015.
schedules, this is a great time education manager at Lime Creek Nature Center, “I think serving in different positions and
to speak with an enrollment third graders at the Clear Lake elementary school grade levels has given me good perspective and
advisor, financial aid counselor, took to the school’s Outdoor Classroom last week helped prepare me for the position,” said Duesen-
academic counselor or faculty to plant seeds for the future-- or more specifically,
member from NIACC. seeds to improve habitat for Monarch butterflies See DUESENBERG on page 2
and other pollinators.
Saturday Clear Creek third graders made these milkweed clay balls to plant in the Outdoor Classroom. Monarch Mania! is a program initiated by School Board
-Reporter photos by Chris Barragy the Lime Creek Nature Center in Mason City superintendent
Student art and funded by the Maxine Sanberg Memorial finalists named
Fund. The program is a call to North Iowans
A Meet the Artists Recep- to plant milkweed and pollinator gardens to en- The Clear Lake Community School District
tion will be held on Saturday, hance the habitat monarchs and pollinators need Board of Education has announced the names of
March 5, from 1 – 3 p.m. at to survive. four candidates it will interview for the district’s
the Clear Lake Arts Center for As her third grade class was busy spreading superintendent vacancy. The Board met in closed
those exhibiting in the Annual milkweed clay balls and native grass and pollina- session Monday night, Feb. 29, to narrow a list of
Student Art Show. The work of tor flower seeds amid clumps of prairie grass and six finalists to four.
students from elementary, mid- snow, Dana Sorensen was excited. The longtime The candidates selected for interviews are:
dle school and high schools in elementary teacher said her interest in Monarchs •Doug Gee, superintendent of schools at
Belmond/Klemme, Clear Lake, was sparked when Clear Creek opened in 1998. Boyer Valley and Woodbine Community School
Clear Lake Classical, Forest “I am known by many of the students as the But- District, Dunlap, Iowa.
City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura terfly Lady. This is a project I’m really excited •Abraham Maske, superintendent of schools
and West Hancock schools will about and it’s fun to do it with my class.” at the Postville Community School District, Post-
be on exhibit through Saturday, Classes led by Val Schaefer, Sara Allen, ville, Iowa.
March 26. •Cory Myer, superintendent of schools for
Yvonne Uhlenhopp and student teacher Rachel the North Iowa Community School District, Buf-
continued Jensen also helped to spread 12 pounds of native falo Center, Iowa.
tall grass prairie seed valued at $1,200. •Dr. Gregory Thomas, associate superinten-
More CALENDAR Students prepared the clay balls by forming dent of Curriculum, Data, & Special Services for
on page 2 small marble size balls of potting soil mixed with the Marion Independent School District, Marion,
clay - they then put two swamp milkweed seed in Iowa.
Inside each ball. When the clay balls dried, they scat- Interviews are scheduled to be conducted on
tered them in the Outdoor Classroom in an area March 3, 7, 9 and 10. Numerous stakeholder
Opinion..................... 4 now designated as a pollinator garden through the groups will have the opportunity to meet the final
Weather.................... 5 Monarch Mania! project. candidates and submit input to the Board about
Sports..................9-10 Students will continue to be involved with the each of them, according to the firm of McPherson
Legals................13-14 program through tagging monarchs and studying & Jacobson L.L.C., which was hired to assist in
Classifieds.........14-15 their life cycle. the search. The consultants reviewed, screened,
“Kids at Clear Creek tag monarch butterflies and conducted extensive background checks on
Road Reports every year,” explained Sorensen. “This year there eight applicants. Monday, the consultants pre-
is a noticeable drop in the number being caught at sented the applicants to the Board of Education
Iowa 1-800-288-1047 the school. Students tagged 49 monarch this year. and provided them detailed background informa-
Illinois 1-800-865-5394 It is a great opportunity to follow our data.” tion on each applicant.
Kansas 1-800-585-7623 This was the first time “snow planting” has The School Board intends to make their se-
Minnesota1-800-542-0220 been done at the Outdoor Classroom, which has lection by March 11.
Missouri 1-800-222-6400 expanded over the years to include a pond enjoyed
Nebraska 1-800-906-9069 by swans and other aquatic life, as well as prairie
S. Dakato 1-866-697-3511
Wisconsin 1-800-762-3947 See MONARCHS on page 5 Todd Von Ehwegen, from the Lime Creek Nature Center, led students in the “snow planting” activity.
Forecasts There’s no place like home
for this Clear Lake family
Des Moines 1-515-270-2614
Sioux Falls 1-605-330-4444 Habitat for Humanity builds fourth home here
Waterloo 1-319-234-6600
Call 511 for Iowa, Minnesota Ben and Crystal Gerhardt welcomed friends, low monthly mortgage payments on time. After Crystal and Ben Gerhardt and their children, Justin, Daniel, Jace and Ava, are excited to be in their new
and South Dakota family and the community to their new Clear home construction, Habitat essentially becomes Clear Lake home built through the Habitat for Humanity program.-Reporter photo.
Lake home last week. In addition to sharing their the lender for the home, offering repayment of
non-emergency weather excitement, they also offered their thanks to all the cost to build the home at zero percent inter-
and road conditions. who made the home a reality. est over 30 years, Schoneberg explained. Those
The Gerhardts applied to the Habitat for Hu- payments serve as income for the organization to
Mail: 12 N. 4th St., manity program two years ago and began work on fund future houses.
Clear Lake, IA 50428 their own home about one year ago. The Gerhardts completed a credit counseling
Telephone: 641-357-2131 “We’re excited for people to see the house, but course, along with a home repair program to bet-
Fax: 641-357-2133 even more excited to close on it and begin mov- ter prepare themselves for home ownership.
Email: office@clreporter.com ing in over the weekend,” said Crystal at Tuesday’s Their home at 1505 Logan Drive features
Website: www.clreporter.com open house. four bedrooms, two baths and an open kitchen
This was the fourth house built through the and family room for the family of six.
@CLReporter Habitat program in Clear Lake and the 48th fam- “The three boys (six-year-old Jace, eight-year-
ily to be helped in the area, explained Melissa old Daniel and 13-year-old Justin) have been
Schoneberg, executive director. Families selected sharing one bedroom and our daughter has been
for home ownership through Habitat must dem- sharing a bedroom with Ben and I,” said Crys-
onstrate need, commit to providing “sweat eq- tal. While the boys are excited to spread out, two-
uity” for the organization, and be able to make
See NEW HOME on page 5
