Week of Feb 2 2008 - 7:00pm to Feb 9 2008 - 6:59pm
Keely Boss
Monday, January 28, 2008
Keely S. Boss, 38, 2400 South Shore Dr., Clear Lake, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa, Mason City, Iowa. A memorial service was held Friday, Feb. 1, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Dennis Ganz officiating. Memorials may be given to the Keely Boss Memorial Fund.
Keely was born Feb. 13, 1969 in Mason City, the daughter of Joe and Jill (Lord) Scott. She graduated from Mason City High School. She attended cosmetology school in Des Moines. She then moved back to Mason City and worked at various jobs. Keely married Dale Boss Nov. 7, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Keely worked at the Half Moon in Clear Lake as a waitress. She loved spending time with her children, taking them shopping. She loved her cats, dogs and enjoyed drawing, reading and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye and Seattle Seahawks fan. She was a member of Clear Lake V.F.W. Auxillary.
Keely is survived by her husband, Dale Boss, Clear Lake; four children, Scott and Rachel Church, Joice, Iowa, Nicole Boss, Miller, Iowa and Ashley (Brandon) Robins, Nora Springs, Iowa; grandson, Tanner Robins; her mother, Jill Scott, Clear Lake; her father, Joe Scott and his wife, Barb, Clear Lake; brothers, Tony Scott and his wife, Cindy, Mason City, and Stephen Scott, Seattle, Wash.; half-sister, Stacey Lester, Clear Lake, and stepbrother, Jason Scott, California; and several aunts and uncles.
Keely was preceded in death by her grandparents and cousins, Tory Lord and Jorge Hill.
Roger Cox
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Surrounded by family and his loving wife of 66 years, Roger Ray Cox died peacefully at home on Jan. 29, 2008 at the age of 89. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Feb. 4, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Des Moines, Iowa, with burial to follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be made to Christ the King Catholic Church.
Roger was born in Utica, Mo. on Nov. 3, 1918 to Ira and Bessie Cox. He worked on the family farm and attended school in rural Missouri. He moved to St. Louis, Mo. after high school where he worked and met the love of his life, Martha Butler. They were married and Roger joined the Army Air Force to defend his country during WWII serving in England.
After the war, he moved his family to Des Moines and joined Cox Neon Signs with his brother, Ray. Roger was a neon glass blower and his work can be seen throughout the city. The bowler in action atop Plaza Lanes on Douglas Ave. in Des Moines is his work. Roger loved to work and held part-time jobs at Veterans Memorial Auditorium and the Iowa State Fair for more than 30 years. He ushered at the horse show, worked fair grounds security, was a monitor at the Youth Inn, and worked other events held at the fairgrounds including the Pork Producers Event and the Good Guys Car Show. After retiring from the sign business, Roger continued at the state fairgrounds and also worked as an usher and security at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Hy-Vee Hall, Wells Fargo Arena and the Warren County Fair.
Roger was a loving father and grandfather and was very proud of his family. He was a member of Christ the King Catholic Church, the Holy Name Society, and the American Legion. He was an outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish and camp and was an avid gardener.
Gary “Chic” Miller
Friday, February 1, 2008
Gary “Chic” Miller, 68, formerly of Clear Lake, died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at the Iowa Veterans Home, Marshalltown, Iowa. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m., at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Tim Diehl of First Congregational Church, Clear Lake, officiating. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Military honors will be provided by the Clear Lake V.F.W. Inurnment will be held at the Clear Lake Cemetery at a later date.
Memorials maybe given to the Gary Miller Memorial Fund.
Chic was born Feb. 27, 1939 in Clear Lake, the son of Gretchen Miller. He graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1957 and attended Mason City Junior College, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He entered into the U.S. Army in 1959 and was honorably discharged in 1962. Following the service he came back to Clear Lake and was a route driver for Marshall and Swift Inc. Chic was a bartender at the Half Moon, the Golden Goose and Harbor Inn.
Chic enjoyed golfing, playing kismet with his buddies, playing cards, bowling and going to the casinos. He loved watching all sports.
Chic is survived by several cousins, Gayle Stokes, Clear Lake, Jim Bird and his wife, Karen, Mason City, David Bird, Mason City, Linda Anderson and her husband, Robert, Clear Lake, Bob Bird and his wife, Connie, Clear Lake, and Jackie Saltzgaver, Texas.
Chic was preceded in death by his mother; grandparents; special aunts and uncles, Adam and Molly Miller, Helen and Roy Bird, and Wayne and Ann Stokes; and cousins, Rex Miller, Joey Bird and Gordon Stokes.
Early morning fire damages Clear Lake home
The Clear Lake Fire Department responded to a report of a house on fire at 713 N. 11th St. at 6:35 a.m. Tuesday morning, Feb. 5.
Upon arrival, firefighters saw fire venting from the roof of the single story home owned and occupied by Maxine Funk. The fire was reported by Bob Funk, who lives in the residence at 713 1/2 N. 11th St.
The fire was located primarily in the attic of the house, but heavy smoke and heat damage was found throughout the structure.
Fire Chief Doug Meyers said a great deal of time was spent removing cellulose insulation from the attic. The cause of the blaze was determined to be an electrical short in fixed wiring in the attic space that ignited the insulation, according to Meyers.
Thirteen firefighters in four companies were on the scene until 9:10 a.m. They were assisted at the scene by the Clear Lake Police Department and Alliant utilities.
No injuries were reported.
Clear Lake ranks as ice fishing hotspot
by Lowell Washburn
When it comes to knowing exactly where and when the fish are biting on Clear Lake, no one knows better than Dan Fjeld.
Fjeld is the official DNR Creel Clerk for Clear Lake. Rain or shine, summer or winter, he’s out and about conducting hundreds of angler interviews while recording the numbers, size, and species of fish those anglers catch. Biologists use that information to make hatchery, stocking, and other fish management decisions.
Although ice fishing ranks as the most unpredictable period of the year, angler numbers and angler success have remained high at the lake throughout the winter.
“People were able to get out on good ice early in the season, and they immediately began to find good numbers of walleyes and yellow bass,” says Fjeld. “Angler success remained high, the word quickly spread and crowds grew.”
By mid-January, Clear Lake’s ice shanty village had grown to around 100 permanent houses. During late afternoons, the number of structures often doubles as anglers install portable ice houses in preparation for the evening bite.
This winter, angler numbers appear to be holding into February. Last Saturday, for example, a late afternoon crowd of more than 800 gathered in hopes of bagging a sunset walleye.
“Most people just want to catch fish and are happy with either yellow bass or walleyes,” says Fjeld. “I’m not seeing huge catches of yellows, like in the spring, but the fish that are being caught are very acceptable. Eleven-inch yellow bass weighing up to one pound are pretty common. A lot of people are taking anywhere from a dozen to 15 of those fish per trip. That level of success definitely keeps anglers coming back.”
Ventura board sets date for bond vote
The Ventura School Board voted Monday night to place a $2.75 bond issue on the ballot again in July.
The measure to support renovation and expansion of the district’s high school fell just short of passage in a special election Dec. 4, 2007. At that time, the issue received 59.96 percent approval. Sixty percent approval was needed for passage.
The School Board voted unanimously to repeat the vote in a special election on July 1, rather than wait for the next regular school election in September. Members noted the costs associated with the proposed project continue to rise and waiting until a September decision could delay a construction start in 2008.
Fifties in February fans, entertainers and the community
Rave on
To borrow a phrase from a Buddy Holly song, fans are raving on and on about the music and fun they had during this year’s Fifties in February at the Surf Ballroom.
“If I had to characterize it, I’d say ‘there you go again, Clear Lake,’” said Jeff Nicholas, one of the event co-chairmen this year for the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. “All the volunteers-- and the community as a whole-- did a fabulous job hosting the entertainers and fans joining us for the celebration this year.”
Nicholas said he and others who worked on the event met Monday afternoon at the Surf to begin wrapping up the 2008 event and looking toward next year, when the Surf will mark 50 years since Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson played their final concert at the Surf Ballroom.
“We sold a few more tickets this year, but the event wasn’t quite a sell-out. But gift shop sales and all other areas were up in revenues,” said Nicholas. “All in all, it was an amazing weekend.”
Expect a 2009 sell-out Given the great time and great entertainment this year’s crowd enjoyed-- combined with a 50 year commemorative event in 2009-- Nicholas said he expects a quick sell-out next year. He gave the weekend crowds notice to place next year’s dates on their calendars. He also said mailings and emails to this year’s ticket holders, as well as press releases, will give fans at least a week notice of 2009 ticket sales.
Busy week for Lady Vikes
It was a busy week of basketball for the Ventura girls, as they competed in three games in as many days.
NSK 71, Ventura 25
The Lady Vikes hit a buzz saw when they faced North Sentral Kossuth on Thursday, Jan. 31, in Fenton.
Despite a good first quarter, where the Lady Vikes were able to handle the Eagles’ press and get off some high percentage shots, NSK dominated the rest of the game on their way to a 71-25 victory.
“We turned the ball over too many times, which was also a result of us only getting 32 shots off in the game,” said Coach Lucas Kreuscher. “I thought NSK really got aggressive in the second half and didn’t let us make the pass.”
Kaley Imhoff led the Lady Vikes with 11 points and four rebounds for the night. She also connected on one three-point shot. Rounding out the scoring was Brittany Boehnke with six, and Morgan Welp, Megan Schuler and Blair Berhow-Goll each had two points.
Amber Smith led the team in assists with three and Welp led the team in rebounds with five. Boehnke also grabbed four rebounds and Hannah Vavrik had three.
Harris-Lake Park 43, Ventura 37
The Lady Vikes had their chance on Friday, Feb. 1, when they hosted Harris-Lake Park in a Cornbelt Conference showdown.
Ventura only trailed by five points at halftime, but they couldn’t make up the deficit and fell, 43-37.
Lions take care of business against Algona
Clear Lake pulled away from a 29-29 halftime score to defeat Algona 62-55 Friday night, Feb. 8. 
“We came out and played a good third quarter and got up by as much as 12 in the fourth quarter. I thought we did a much better job of taking care of the ball,” said Coach Kevin Kahler, whose team improved to 7-6 in the North Central Conference and 7-8 overall.
The winning effort was propelled by Clear Lake’s best rebounding of the year, noted the coach. The Lions won the battle on the boards by a 35-17 margin. Justin Uhlenhopp led the team on the board with nine rebounds. Charlie Peterson had seven rebounds and three others, Sean McChesney, Zach Monson and Jared Sholly, each had six.
The coach also noted the Lions’ turnovers were down and the team made its free throws when they needed to.
McChesney and Peterson shared scoring honors for the Lions with 17 points apiece. McChesney also made four assists and had two blocks and two steals.
“Charlie and Sean had big nights for us offensively, but I thought all of our kids played extremely well,” added Kahler.
Monson also finished in double figures with 11 points. Jared Sholly had nine, and Justin Uhlenhopp tossed in four points. Zach Mueller and Lukas Matheson came off the bench to score three and one point respectively.
The Lions’ game with highly ranked St. Ed’s was cancelled Monday due to inclement weather. They were slated to travel to Iowa Falls Tuesday, Feb. 5, and are at Hampton-Dumont Thursday.
