Page 4 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 3-23-2016

Opinion
Page 4 • March 23, 2016
IFCA help was
appreciated
To the Editor,
A dozen churches in Clear Lake
come together in IFCA (Interfaith
Fellowship for Community Action).
This organization provides the com-
munity Thanksgiving and Christmas
dinners, but the primary purpose is to
provide aid to stranded travelers. Re-
cently IFCA received a letter of thanks
from such a stranded traveler.
In part the letter read:
“On October 8 I found myself
traveling to Nebraska for a family emer-
gency. Because of my anxiety I managed
to leave my Wisconsin home without my
identification, debit card, and check-
book. I stopped at Casey’s General Store
Gas Station exit 194 off of I-35. I had
no idea what to do but cry. The ladies
working at Casey’s offered to help, but I
was so emotional and felt awful about
taking money from them. They called
for a police officer to help me. The police thew 6:21).
officer was wonderful as well. She had
brought a voucher from IFCA. She put
gas in my car and offered to get me food
and beverages.”
She enclosed a check to cover
the amount she had been given, and
indicated that she wanted to help us
“continue this wonderful service.”
Sandy Christ,
Clear Lake
25 Years Ago • March 1991
The Clear Lake City Council
was expected to follow suit with the
Cerro Gordo County Supervisors and
approve an economic impact study of
the routes proposed for the “Avenue
of the Saints.” Clear Lake Mayor Lois
Kotz planed the item on the Coun-
cil’s agenda. Kotz is a member of a
group formed to study the routes and
make its own recommendation to the
Department of Transportation. Kotz
is joined by Mason City Mayor Bill
Schickel and Cerro Gordo County
Supervisor Jay Urdahl.
The Clear Lake Chamber of
Commerce has announced plans for
an outstanding Fourth of July Cel-
ebration with a special salute to the
Armed Forces. Kevin Swenson is
chairman of the Fourth of July com-
mittee. A community church ser-
vice, Municipal Band concert, and
fireworks on multiple nights with a
premiere fireworks on July 4 are all
part of making this year’s Clear Lake
Fourth of July a North Iowa and
Southern Minnesota premiere event.
The following Clear Lake High
School students have earned All-
12 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, IA. 50428 • Ph. • 641-357-2131 • Fax • 641-357-2133
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Election dilema
To the Editor,
I suspect that my dilemma about
the election looming ahead is shared
by many other conservative Ameri-
cans. Our probable choices are be-
tween Hillary Clinton and Donald
Trump, as of today. Both of them give
me heart-burn.
Hillary shares the common Dem-
ocrat belief in big government that
handcuffs small business with rules
and regulations and intrusion in pri-
vate lives with the goal of changing so-
ciety toward its philosophy. After all,
Obama said he was going to change
America and that we are not a Chris-
tian nation, after his first election.
Clearly, many did not believe him.
Then there is Donald a man of
the people. What people? As a bil-
lionaire, we have nothing in common.
“Wherever your treasure is, there you
heart and thoughts will also be” (Mat-
I am afraid that his riches make
him think he can do whatever he
wants, say anything he chooses and it
will be done. Courtesy with respect
for others are not important unless
you agree with him. He could easily
become a dictator.
What do I do, if these are my
only choices? I can only think of one
thing, pray for a miracle!
Bob Otterman,
Clear Lake
Conference Academic Honors: Shan-
non Berge, Kirk Sorbo, Mark Meehl-
hause, Christie Bauer, Jason Skinner,
Shannon Quigley, Heather Datema,
Dustin Peterson, Aaron Marken and
Kirsten Hickman.
The North Iowa Christian School
reached its goal in securing donations
to qualify for a $7,500 matching grant
given to the school.
Tom and Janet Boehnke, of
Ventura, are the proud parents of a
new daughter, Brittany Lou, born
Feb. 11, 1991. Brittany was wel-
comed home by her sisters, Kara, age
6, and Shanna, age 4.
Three Clear Lake girls basketball
players have received All North Cen-
tral Conference honors. Kathy Walls,
Kendra Berge and Mindy Day had
their names included on the post-sea-
son lists. Walls and Berge were named
to the Second Team and Day received
Honorable Mention recognition.
Ventura’s Scott Hinrichs was
named to the First Team for the North
Star Conference All-Conference
teams. Honorable mention honors
went to Troy Roenfanz, Brad Eenhuis
and Tim Bray.
Serving Clear Lake & Ventura
communities since 1869
Chris Barragy
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The “Big Top” is a
“Big Nightmare”
To the Editor,
A circus is coming to North Iowa
in a few weeks. The Shrine Circus is
a traveling show that includes acro-
bats, clowns, and of course, plenty of
performance animals. The upcom-
ing Shrine Circus in North Iowa spe-
cifically showcases the Tarzan Zerbini
Performing Elephants as part of it
traveling show. Iowa House is under our belts. We
While all of this may seem like
innocent family fun, what goes on be-
hind the scenes at a circus is hardly in- through the Animal Welfare Act and
nocent: the needless suffering of wild
animals. Often, performance animals
used in circus acts are routinely beat-
en, poked, and shocked with electric
prods, forcing them to learn routines
and perform unnatural tricks for an
unsuspecting viewing public. This
abuse continues year after year as the
show travels state to state to each new
town for each new audience.
The animal’s misery also contin-
ues off the stage. Animals traveling
in circuses are rarely allowed out of
their small, often dirty cages, except
to perform. After the show, they are
typically locked up to travel to the
next town. In the wild, an elephant
may walk up to 20 miles a day; in the
confinement of a circus, they may
REMEMBER WHEN
Megan Coe, a senior at Ventura,
was named First Team All North Star
Conference. Jenny Fey was named to
the Second Team and Angie Jahnke
earned Honorable Mention recogni-
tion.
Former Clear Lake High School
students are playing sports at the col-
legiate level. Jodi Klaudt is a member
of the Wartburg College’s 1991 soft-
ball team as an outfielder. Michelle
Djuren is a member of Wartburg Col-
lege’s women’s track team as a jumper.
Doug Abbas is a member of the UNI
men’s tennis team.
Specials for the week at Easter’s
Super Value include: fresh broccoli,
bunch, 67¢; Granny Smith Apples,
lb., 88¢; Meadow Gold Premium Ice
Cream, half gallon, $2.09; Moun-
tain Dew, 12-12 oz. cans, $2.99;
Ham Shanks, lb., $1.29; and Turkey
Breasts, lb., $1.49.
50 Years Ago • March 1966
Only the foundation and chim-
ney remains of the Elmer Hansen
farm home, located five and one-half
miles south of Clear Lake. Fire de-
Owner/Publisher...... Mike Finnegan
mike@clreporter.com
Editor.................. Marianne Morf
marianne@clreporter.com
Michelle Watson Amy Palmer
michelle@clreporter.com amy@clreporter.com
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Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter
Under The
only walk 20 yards per day, to the per- Golden Dome, Too
formance tent and then back to their
dark, dingy, cramped cage. Animals Representative Linda Upmeyer
515-281-3221
linda.upmeyer@legis.state.ia.us
Living within our meansare frequently chained or shackled for
long periods of time, which leads to
open wounds, sores, and often infec-
tions. Another productive week in the During their meeting this week they
made revenue projections for the cur-
Circuses are required to adhere continue to work hard on behalf of rent fiscal year (FY16), the upcoming
to the animal care standards set forth Iowans as we move various pieces of fiscal year (FY17), and the following
policy forward that will make Iowa a fiscal year after that (FY18).
enforced by the USDA for animals better place to live and work. At the beginning of the meet-
owned by the circus. The Shrine Cir- Since session began, I have writ- ing, the REC reviewed several eco-
cus evades this rule be “leasing” its ten nearly every week about how nomic indicators like the agricultural
animals through groups like Tarzan important coupling with the federal economy, the labor market, consumer
Zerbini’s Performing Elephants. Ev- tax code is to the taxpayers of Iowa. spending, and many other factors.
ery exhibitor of Shine Circus-leased This week the House and Senate both After reviewing all of this data, the
animals has failed to meet minimal passed House File 2433, which in- panel remained cautious but said that
federal standards under the Animal cludes coupling and a provision relat- the state’s economy is seeing slow, but
Welfare Act for the care of animals ed to sales tax on manufacturers. This steady growth. The need for caution
used in the circus…including Tarzan bill provides immediate and direct tax is exactly what House Republicans
Zerbini’s Performing Elephants show. relief to more than 177,000 Iowans by have been stressing for the last six
The bottom line is circus acts that coupling, as well as permanent tax re- years. It’s difficult to predict bumps
use wild animals are inhumane and lief and clarity to Iowa manufacturers. and spurts in the economy, so to be
unnatural. Wild animals don’t per- This bill exemplifies that even able to withstand something like that
form because they choose this way of with divided government, House Re- requires a conservative approach to
life; they are often beaten until they publicans are able to advance policies state spending.
comply. that give taxpayers a seat at the table. The REC made no revisions to
You do have a choice though. This week, the Revenue Estimat- the outlook for FY16, the current
When the Shrine Circus comes to ing Conference (REC) met to make budget year that runs until June 30,
Mason City, you can choose to NOT their latest projections on the amount projecting that the state still stands to
attend and send the message loud and of tax revenue coming into the state. collect $7.045 billion.
clear that you do not find animal cru- The REC is made up of three mem- For FY17 revenue is expected to
elty “entertaining.” bers, one from the nonpartisan Leg- increase slightly, by about $30 million
islative Services Agency, one from the due to the federal tax extenders bill
Sybil Soukup, Executive Director, State Department of Management, passed by Congress late last year,
Humane Society of North Iowa, and another from the private sector.
Mason City See UPMEYER on page 5
stroyed the two story home Wednes- 3,764. for a school building did not carry.
day morning. None of the family of Work has started of cutting trees It will necessarily come up again and
five were injured. and staking out a new road around the chances are that considerable
Mrs. M.W. (Lois) Hughes is State Park more money will be paid for the same
among 34 women in Iowa chosen as Matinee showing at the Lake area of land. The erection of another
candidates to represent our state as Theatre is 21¢ admission. Playing building is inevitable.
“Mother of the Year.” Mrs. Hughes is Joel McCrea and Lorraine Day in Nels Hanson remembers in 1882
has taught school for many years in “Foreign Correspondent.” he was living on a farm on the south
Ventura. The Walter Tesene farm house lake shore. The snow had all disap-
Plans were revealed Tuesday by wast of town, burned to the ground peared the first of March and on
Clear Lake Supt. Earl Berge of a pro- Monday morning. The fire started in the 10th he had sown his wheat and
posed addition to the north end of the the pantry and spread. They will re- oats. While finishing the harrowing
west wing of the high school. build as soon as possible. the weather turned and the ground
Grocery specials for the week at Young men in the National Guard froze. This was followed by a big snow
Jensen’s Super Market include: Del at Camp Claiborne, La. include: Les storm. No more fieldwork until the
Monte Catsup, 20 oz. bottles, 4/$1; Hughes, Dick Murphy, Marion Van- end of April. Mr. Hanson’s oats had
Planter’s Peanut Butter, 18 oz., 49¢; Fleet, Ethan Wilder, Francis Brislin, a yield of 63 bushels an acre. Those
Velveeta Cheese, lb. box, 2/89¢; and Richard Latham. who sowed later got 40.
grapefruit, 4/89¢; pork steak, lb., 59¢. A young inventor in Cedar Falls,
100 Years Ago • March 1916 Iowa, has invented a device which will
75 Years Ago • March 1941 The matter of bonding the dis- run an auto on kerosene and hopes to
The population of Clear Lake is trict for $8,000 for an additional site cut the price of running an auto in half.
Easter bakers, 1991
Students at the Sunshine Center, located at the North Iowa Christian School in 1991, got to try their hand at decorating
Easter cupcakes. Roberta Schlichting, of the Bakery Boutique, was on hand to demonstrate the art of cake decorating
before turning the students loose with icing and other toppings. Pictured with Schlichting are front row (L-R): Melissa
McLaughlin, Ryan Morse and Luke Peters. Back row (L-R): Chelsey Main, Katy Nickerson, Lynn Lynch, Andrew Nicho-
las and Andy Meyer.
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