Former Clear Lake City Council member Rod Pump urged city leaders Monday night to begin thinking about acquiring Lincoln Elementary School for future police and recreation department expansion.

Clear Lake School officials have announced Lincoln School, located on the corner of South 8th Street and 4th Avenue South, will close at the completion of this school year. First and second graders at Lincoln will join third through fifth grades at Clear Creek Elementary School in August. An addition to Clear Creek is currently under construction.

Interim Superintendent Dwight Pierson could not be reached for comment, but the Clear Lake School Board has not made any decisions regarding the future of the Lincoln School property.

Pump suggested relocating the city’s police department into the newer addition at Lincoln, giving the department much needed room to expand, as well as make it more visible and conveniently located within the community. The parks department, he said, would benefit from the gymnasium at the school, as well as the playground and storage space. The department currently stores equipment at various locations, including the city’s Public Works Building.

Moving the police department out of City Hall would give the fire department and city offices more room at that building, as well.

“I would just like to get the community started talking about keeping the building and not go through the demolition process, or pursue long studies,” said Pump.

Council Representative Dave Solberg thanked Pump for the input and noted a recent study of the downtown area by RDG Design identified inadequate space for the fire and police departments, as well as the difficulty of finding the offices. “There’s a lot in that study and now with new opportunities we should look at that study again,” said Solberg.

    For the first time in more than 30 years, the Clear Lake City Council found itself talking about someone other than Keith’s Sanitation to carry out the city’s garbage and recycling collection needs.
    Dennis Keith told the Council Monday night that he and his sister, Kathy Bartelt, along with their spouses, plan to sell the business to Absolute Waste Removal, owned by David Deinhart of Mason City.  Keith was asking the Council to assign the contract it has with the city to Absolute.  
    Sale of the business is pending, with a Nov. 1 switchover date expected, said Dennis Keith.  He and Kathy both plan to work with the new firm to assure a smooth transition.
    “It’s an emotional time for me and my family,” said Dennis, who parents, Larry and Lori Keith, started the business in 1972.  Dennis and Kathy took over operation of the business about 20 years ago.  When it became apparent the next generation did not wish to continue ownership of the business, Dennis said they began researching possible successors.
    “After a couple of years of research and talking with Dave Deinhart, we feel we have a good fit,” said Dennis.  “We wanted to sell to an experienced company who would keep things local.”
    Deinhart has 24 years experience in the waste removal business, including service in the communities of Garner, Grafton, Rockwell, to name a few.  Deinhart will operate its Clear Lake operation from the existing Keith’s Sanitation office and staff will be given an opportunity to stay on with the new firm.  Trucks and equipment were also part of the sale.
    “It has been a pleasure to work with the community this long,” said Dennis Keith.  “I have always like the outdoors and serving the community and this was one simple little thing I could do.”

Former Clear Lake City Administrator Tom Lincoln, who devoted much of his life to community service, died Saturday, Oct. 13, at home following an illness.
Lincoln, who was honored in July as Marshal of Clear Lake’s Fourth of July parade, was an integral part of successfully growing Clear Lake. His 29 years in the community included service as comptroller, city administrator, firefighter, sanitary district trustee and business owner.
“Integrity. Honesty. Those are what qualities come to mind when I think of Tom Lincoln,” said Matt Miller, who first met Lincoln when giving him an application to serve as a volunteer firefighter. Their friendship spanned more than 30 years and included many laughs and tears.
“He always did things the right way-- hard or not-- and had high moral standards. I never met anybody more honest. He helped so many people through the years. He would drop everything for a friend and was a great listener,” said Miller.
Among the many happy times Miller recalled with his friend was one fire training activity the department held at State Park. Miller said fellow firefighter Rob Bell had sprayed him with a hose, then darted away.
“I turned the hose on him and literally took his feet out from under him. He went rolling along like a ball,” said Miller. Lincoln, a newcomer to the department at that time, snatched the hose from Miller, surprised to see him turning on a fellow firefighter.
“Ever since then he kind of became my guardian angel and protector,” laughed Bell, thinking back. “He liked to fight interior fires, like I do. And he was good at it.”
As he anxiously awaited the July 4 festivities, Lincoln reflected on his career in government.

Chantal Pinheiro and Aaron Christians
were crowned as Ventura High School’s
Homecoming queen and king Friday.

    The Clear Lake City Council discussed a wireless services lease agreement with CL Tel Wireless Inc. at its regular meeting Monday, Oct. 15.
    A public hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, to consider the agreement.
    The city already has a contract with Nextel, which pays $1,500 per month in exchange for locating an antenna on Clear Lake’s north water tower.
    Tom Lovell, CL Tel general manager, explained the firm proposes placing units on the city’s three water towers.  He called the technology which will be used less obstusive than the microwave dishes the public currently sees on towers.  
    “We have one on the tower in Ventura for the past year and a half and I’ll bet no one has noticed it,” said Lovell.
    He explained CL Tel  has decided to offer  i wireless cellular service and the agreement with the city will provide signal without i wireless erecting a new tower.  
    “We look forward to being able to provide enhanced services to the city and its citizens,” said Lovell.

The City of Clear Lake has declared its fall open burning period now open. The period will continue through Nov. 25.
Open burning is allowed from noon to dusk, with no burning permitted on Mondays or Fridays. All fires must be contained on private property and no burning is allowed on streets or alleys. The fire must also be further than 50-feet from any structure.
The city’s ordinance allows for burning of yard waste accumulated on-site only and does not allow for the use of flammable liquids, paper, or trash to be burned.
Failure to comply with these regulations is a simple misdemeanor and violators will be subject to a citation.

Ventura clinches play-off berth

The No. 5 ranked Ventura Vikings assured themselves a spot in the playoffs with a 56-0 drubbing of Rockwell-Swaledale Friday night.
The Vikings used a balanced attack and rang up 554 yards of offense on the Rebels. The effort keeps Ventura atop all schools (170 eight-man and 11-man reporting) in total rushing yards this season with 3,350.
Ventura’s offense wasted no time striking against the Rebels. Cody Kadolph scored on the first play from scrimmage and an interception by Brian Mostrom set up a five-yard touchdown run by Josh Henely, giving the Vikings two scores within the first two minutes of play.
Ventura scored 49 of its points in the first half, leaving junior varsity players with a lot of playing time in the second half.