Page 1 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 7-1-2015

July 4th Recipes
USPS 117-120 VOL. 145 Issue 26
Clear Lake
Mirror-Reporter
CALENDAR
Wednesday
Carnival opens
Clear Lake’s fabulous July
4th celebration begins at 5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 1, with the
opening of the Evans United
Shows Carnival, the Chamber
of Commerce Bingo tent and
an Arts & Crafts Fair. At 7 p.m.
The Hepperly Band will be on
the City Park Bandshell stage.
Vet’s Game
The Clear Lake baseball
team will be honoring all vet-
erans during its July 1 game
against Algona. The junior var-
sity game starts at 5:30 p.m.,
with the varsity game starting
at 7:30 p.m. Veterans attending
will be admitted free of charge
and will be honored during the
player introductions before the
varsity game. All fans are en-
couraged to wear red, white and
blue and/or Clear Lake Lions
baseball apparel to the game to
honor the veterans as the teams
kick off the July 4th weekend.
Donations will be accepted
during the game, with the pro-
ceeds going to the local Veterans
Fund. Rain date is Friday, July
3, against Webster City.
Open mic night
The Surf Ballroom holds its
Open Mic Night each Wednes-
day. Anyone interested in per-
continued lic Library, will serve as Grand Marshal in this
More CALENDAR
on page 2
Inside
Opinion..................... 4
Weather.................... 5
Sports................17-19
Legals................20-21
Classifieds.........22-23
The lake level dropped 1.32”
to its new reading of +4.08”
above the weir. Last year at
this time the lake measured
+8.76” above the weir.
PHONE: 641-923-2837 EXT. 3
How to contact us at:
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
HAVE A HAPPY
4TH OF JULY
From Lake Chevrolet
pg. 9
Bring on the
holiday sun!
Mostly sunny for the
holiday weekend.
Chance of an isolated
storm on Sunday.
Look for a high of 82 on Sunday.
More weather on page 5.
July 1, 2015 Serving Clear Lake and Ventura since 1869 • Hometown newspaper of Tracy & Dawn Anderson $1.50
Fire engulfs SUV and boat We’re No. 1!
No one was injured when an SUV pulling a boat burst into flames while traveling on U.S. Highway 18 about 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27. Clear Lake’s July 4th
Emily Hodgin, of Hudson, Iowa was driving the vehicle when she noticed smoke coming from the hood and pulled over. The fire quickly celebration takes top
spread throughout the vehicle to the boat it was towing. Highway 18 westbound was closed for a short time as Clear Lake firefighters and honors in survey
police responded to the scene. The blaze remains under investigation.-Reporter photo by Chris Barragy.
Now the rest of the state knows what Clear Lakers have al-
ways believed— that there’s no better place to spend the Fourth
of July than here.
Last week the Des Moines Register published a story written
by Emery Styron declaring Clear Lake is tops in the list of “10
unique ways Iowans celebrate the Fourth of July.”
Styron writes that in a completely unscientific survey, a hand-
ful of communities around the state were contacted in an effort to
find out what made their Fourth of July celebrations special.
“What we learned was that the events are as unique as the
towns themselves,” wrote Styron. “Annual traditions range from
the quirky (a frog-jumping event in Battle Creek) to the classic
(the parade in Morning Sun features firetrucks, Shriner vehicles,
tractors, horses and fair queens).”
Libbey Patton, director of tourism for the Clear Lake Area
Chamber of Commerce, responded to the survey by noting Clear
Lake has the longest consecutively running celebration in Iowa,
See JULY 4TH CELEBRATION on page 3
Clear Lake Township reaches agreements for fire service
Trustees from Clear Lake Town- trustees decided to divide the town- erty valuations. to set aside funds for future equipment solution of the 66-year-old organiza-
ship have signed new 10-year con- ship in half, from north to south, for Clear Lake Township trustees were purchases and building needs. tion. Under the terms of the one-year
tracts for fire service with the cities of the purpose of determining where their embattled with the Ventura Protective Union and Grant Townships each agreement, the township agreed to
Ventura and Clear Lake. The agree- fire service would come from. The west Association in early 2013. At that time signed new contracts, which were for pay the VPA $31,250 per year for fire
ments, which go into effect today (July side of the township will be served by the now-defunct VPA had presented substantially less than that charged to service. The township also agreed to a
1), close the door on a controversy the Ventura Fire Department, while all townships using their services with Clear Lake Township because of popu- one-time payment of $11,000 to the
which spanned more than a year. the east side will be served by the Clear new, more costly, contracts. The cost lation and property valuation. VPA for the replacement, maintenance
“There have been nothing but Lake Fire Department. for fire service for Clear Lake Town- After months of negotiation, the and repair of its fire equipment. In
positive things to say about the agree- Every two years there will be a fi- ship was set to rise from $11,556 to VPA reached an agreement in March exchange, the VPA acknowledged the
ments,” said Clear Lake Township nancial update because the rates are $42,551. The contracts took into ac- 2014 to provide service for Clear Lake
Trustee Scott Pederson. In essence, calculated using certified assessed prop- count the department’s increased effort Township, clearing the way for the dis- See TOWNSHIP on page 3
H Milton Duesenberg named
parade Grand Marshal
H Milton Duesenberg likes to say that every- Texas, chose Clear Lake. After graduating from H Milton Duesenberg is at the Historical Room at the Public Library daily helping those interested in history,
body has a story. Preserving those stories— and Clear Lake High School, H Milton married and as well as preserving important pieces of local lore.- Reporter photo.
thereby enriching our community’s history, has attended one year at Texas A&M before returning
become a labor of love. to Iowa and earning an engineering degree from
Duesenberg, historian at the Clear Lake Pub- Iowa State University. He joined the family road
building business for the next 30 years. During
year’s Fourth of July parade. The honor came as a that time he authored a book on the participation
surprise to the soft-spoken Duesenberg, who de- of North Iowans in helping to build the Alaska
lights in sharing the stories of others more than Highway during World War II.
speaking about himself. Aside from traveling the “I would come to the library to research and
parade route lined by thousands, he plans to spend they were very helpful in providing me with leads
a quiet holiday with family enjoying a picnic. which helped me to get a broader view,” he said.
H Milton came to Clear Lake as a young boy. Conducting research for his book sparked an inter-
“I lived a vagabond life my first five years,” he said, est in history which has grown through the years.
adding that his family moved where his father, su- He is an active member of the Clear Lake Histori-
perintendent for the Sears Construction dirt gang, cal Society and for the past 10 years he has been
had work. “We lived in a construction shack managing the Clear Lake Public Library’s History
pulled from town to town. We were on the road a Room. There, he not only catalogues materials,
lot, going from construction camp to construction but helps countless persons find out more about
camp. But when I turned five and was ready to a variety of local landmarks, events and even their
start school it was time for a permanent address.” own families. Often visitors to the History Room
His father, from Garner, Iowa and mother, from
See DUESENBERG on page 2
Old water tower gives way to new on city’s northwest side
On Thursday, crews quickly dismantled a steel water tower that had stood over the northwest side of just east of the old tower. Clear Lake’s last remaining multi-legged steel tower is near Pine Tree Park
Clear Lake for decades. Workers cut apart and tore down the 56-year-old tower in one day. Officials say on the lake’s south shore area. Officials say that structure likely will remain for several years.-Reporter
the 105-foot-tall, multi-legged tower had outlived its usefulness and was expensive to maintain. Earlier photos by Chris Barragy.
this year, a one million gallon tower, which has four-times the capacity of the old tower, was constructed
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