The Year in Review

Posted January 2nd, 2008

    Clear Lake, like the nation, had its share of success, challenges, sadness and celebration in 2007. Here’s a look back at the top local stories from the just-completed year.

Investing in the lake
   In January 2007, the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake has stepped forward to help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources purchase land which will be used to deposit material dredged from the lake’s west end. A 208-acre site located southwest of the lake in Clear Lake Township, was purchased in conjunction with the dredging plan. The group, which has been associated with lake preservation since the 1930s, purchased the property from Frank and Dorothy Clark, of Clear Lake, for $1,322,730. The Association then agreed to sell the property to the DNR for $656,000 because by law the DNR cannot pay more than assessed property value.
   Association President Randy Cram said that when the group was actively lobbying the state legislature for lake restoration funding in 2006, it pledged to contribute $1 million to the cause.
   Dredging of Clear Lake will only be occurring in the west end or “Little Lake” portion of the lake. This portion of the lake will be deepened to its original depths, which has been determined by soil borings. The shoreline areas will be left undisturbed and dredging depths will gradually increase towards the center portion of the “Little Lake” until a maximum water depth of greater than 20-feet is obtained. The total amount of material to be removed is anticipated to be 2.3 million cubic yards. Because the material removed from the lake is 80-90 percent water, there is a need to return the water back to the lake after the sediment settles out in the containment area.
   A containment site was readied in 2007. Actual dredging will take place over two years, 2008-2009.

Rave reviews
   To borrow a lyric from Buddy Holly, Fifties in February will not fade away any time soon. The event, organized in 2007 by the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, was a resounding success. Ticket holders, volunteers, and even the performers themselves called the celebration of rock and roll music a hit.
   “I think we were all energized and enthused by the fans and and entertainers, but by the same token humbled by the responsibility that we feel in continuing the legacy of this event,” said Greg Nicholas, chairman of the Chamber’s committee in charge. Nicholas said he was especially touched by the fact that several of the weekend entertainers chose to stay and enjoy all of the facets of the yearly celebration. “It’s unheard of to have performers hang around because they want to be a part of what’s going on here.”
   Chamber Executive Director Steve Ward agreed, noting members of the Cleftones, one of the groups participating in the original 1959 Winter Dance Party, were very impressed. “It was far bigger than they knew,” said Ward. “They were anticipating performing in an auditorium with a seated audience. They couldn’t believe the size and enthusiasm of the celebration.” In fact, members of the Cleftones chose to go to the Surf Friday night after they finished rehearsal at City Hall so that they could enjoy the music.
   Nicholas and Ward also gave kudos to the approximate 175 volunteers who logged more than 3,000 hours to put on the show. Nicholas noted that his co-chairmen Paul Stevenson and Shane Cooney were key behind-the-scenes reasons for the Chamber’s success.
   In July, the Chamber announced it will be presenting the 2008 and 2009 “Fifties In February” events. Aamplified interest from fans around the world is expected in 2009 for the 50th anniversary of the original Winter Dance Party.
   On a stage in Las Vegas, Emily Nicholas, of Clear Lake, also received rave reviews, representing her hometown and the state as Miss Iowa at the Miss America Scholarship Pageant.

Weather woes
   Whoever said “wait five minutes in Iowa and the weather will change,” couldn’t have been more right.
   A sudden warm-up in mid-March made quick work of the mounds of snow which fell during back-to-back storms on the preceeding two weekends. The sudden thaw produced more water than the storm water lines could handle in a variety of locations.
   Nasty winter weather also forced the postponement of Christmas By The Lake. The winter celebration was delayed by one weekend when a winter storm loomed.

Evolution in school
   The Clear Lake School District saw a number of significant changes during the year. In April, School Board President Ed Schick refused to let a resident who had been critical of Board members in the media, address the board and had him removed by the police chief. Days later, Board member Theresa Brakke submitted her resignation and Schick announced he would not seek re-election in September in an effort to stabilize the district and move forward positively. Tom Lovell was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Brakke’s resignation.
   Schick reconsidered his decision not to seek re-election and announced his candidacy for Brakke’s one-year Board seat. However, his bid for a return to the Board was turned back by voters by nearly a 2:1 margin. Newcomer Deb Betz was elected to the seat.
   The Clear Lake School Board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Mike Wright in March Wright was named as Clear Lake’s Superintendent in February 2005. Wright’s leadership in the Clear Lake School District was not without controversy. He was named superintendent at Earlham, Iowa later in the year.
    Dwight Pierson, former superintendent of the Forest City School District, was named as interim superintendent of the Clear Lake School District in June. Pierson is expected to serve the district for two years.
    Among the key projects the school district launched in 2007 was an addition to Clear Creek Elementary School. Grades one and two will move to the school in 2008, joining grades three to five and leaving Lincoln School vacant.

Changing landscape
    The Clear Lake City Council, after much deliberation, approved a lakeside dining and condominium project, known as Redstone, in June. The site formerly housed Docks Restaurant.
    The Clear Lake Aquatic Center also opened its gate in June, a few weeks behind schedule, but worth the wait, according to the large crowds which enjoyed the facility during its first season.
    The Clear Lake Arts Center also opened its new building in June, offering a state-of-the-art site for arts creation, inspiration and celebration.
    The Department of Natural Resources broke ground on new office and maintenance buildings just south of Ventura. The facility will house the DNR’s Rice Lake Wildlife Unit, which is closing its Lake Mills location.

Passing
The Clear Lake community was touched by a number of significant passings during the year, including the death of former City Administrator Tom Lincoln, who served as the 2007 July 4th Parade Grand Marshall. Steve Nicklaus was chosen in December to replace Lincoln as a Clear Lake Sanitary Trustee.
The community also mourned the loss of Kyle DeVries, a Clear Lake High School graduate and stand-out athlete diagnosed with cancer while participating in college football.

Politics on parade and elsewhere
Clear Lake’s July 4th festivities were given an extra boost in 2007, as former President Bill Clinton and his wife, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, walked the parade route. Sen. Clinton was among the many candidates seeking the Democratic Party nomination for president to stop in Clear Lake. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright also spoke at the Surf Ballroom in support of Sen. Clinton. Other politicians stopping here included Democrat John Edwards and Republicans Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney, who also walked the July 4th parade route.
The importance of one vote was underlined in December, as the Ventura School District fell one vote short of passing a bond issue to renovate and expand its high school. The School Board chose not to challenge the vote and is expected to place the question on a ballot again by June 2008.

Changing times
    Steve Ward, executive director of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation, submitted his resignation in August. In developing the search for Ward’s replacement, the EDC board decided to pursue the possibility of merging with the Mason City EDC, who is also without an executive director currently. The Chamber Board is presently conducting a search for its new director.
    Cindy Findley, director of Girl Scout Camp Tanglefoot in Clear Lake, also retired from her post in September. The camp celebrated its 60th year in June. Findley had been associated with the camp for more than three decades.
    The Clear Lake City Council thanked Council members Julie Steinberg and Bill Yohn for their service at their final Council meeting in December. The pair chose not to seek re-election. Ben Furleigh and Mike Callanan won their respective races for Council election and Shane Cooney was re-elected as First Ward representative.
    The Clear Lake Police Department added a K-9 officer to its force in 2007. The name “Abby” was chosen through a public campaign to name the dog.
    After serving the community for many years, Dennis Keith and Kathy Bartelt, along with their spouses, announced they had sold their family business, Keith’s Sanitation to Absolute Waste Removal.   Larry and Lori Keith started the business in 1972. Dennis and Kathy took over operation of their parents’ business about 20 years ago.