Week of Apr 19 2008 - 7:00pm to Apr 26 2008 - 6:59pm

    The Clear Lake City Council gave its approval Monday night to begin the process of replacing aging and often malfunctioning storm warning sirens.
    The city will purchase two sirens this year at a cost of $35,379 and two next year from Federal Signal Corp., of Snyder, Neb.  The four sirens will do the job of seven sirens now in use, explained Clear Lake Police Chief Greg Peterson.
    Ventura City officials have also voted to purchase three signals from the same firm and Cerro Gordo County Supervisors were slated to act Tuesday upon the purchase of  signals for outlying areas around the lake.
    Peterson said the siren system currently in use around the lake dates back to World War II vintage.  
    ‘They have been repaired for years, to the point where you can’t find parts anymore,” said Peterson.  Four of 13 sirens failed a recent monthly test, he noted.
    The louder decibels and design of the new sirens will allow fewer units to do the job. The new sirens will also be radio-operated, as opposed to requiring a telephone line connection, and have a battery back-up to help insure they will operate in the event of a power outage.
     “Four will provide better coverage than seven,” said Peterson.  In addition, the system will be compatible with equipment at the new Sheriff’s Dispatch Center.  That will allow Sheriff’s personnel to monitor the working order of the sirens.

Fish crews report better than average spring run
by Lowell Washburn
    Nets have been set, adult brood fish captured, millions of eggs collected. For DNR fisheries workers, the spring walleye run has concluded.
    By now, all of those impressive adult brood fish have been safely returned to their home waters. All of those precious walleye eggs, however, have stayed behind and are now under the watchful eye of DNR biologists located at the Rathbun and Spirit Lake State Fish Hatcheries.
    “It’s really been an excellent year for spring walleye netting,“ said DNR Fish Culture Supervisor, Mike Mason. “The timing was right when we started and water temperatures were conducive to good catches. Our hatcheries were able to fill quickly which is good news for Iowa anglers. This year, we have a statewide stocking request for 110 million (walleye) fry and fingerlings. With the hatcheries full, we should easily be able to meet those requests.“
    Walleye eggs are expected to begin hatching at the Rathbun Hatchery as early as next Monday, says Mason. Rathbun was the first hatchery to “go on line” this spring. Rathbun fisheries personnel collected 580 quarts of eggs in 12 days of netting. Net crews at Spirit Lake, Storm Lake, and Clear Lake also enjoyed above average success during this year’s walleye campaign.
    “Spirit Lake was easily our most improved walleye [brood] fishery,” says North Iowa DNR Fisheries Supervisor, Jim Wahl. “They have a new and very abundant (2001) year class of brood fish that are just coming on line. Those fish are in the 20-inch range and will contribute to our hatchery program for years to come.”

    If you have parking tickets issued in Clear Lake, get ready to pay up.
    The City Council, on the recommendation of Police Chief Greg Peterson, is pursuing a plan which would require any unpaid parking tickets to be paid before an owner could register the vehicle in the county.
    Currently, the city does not usually pursue violators of unpaid parking tickets, Peterson said, noting the action would require court time and costs. However, a change to the Code now allows for a county treasurer to collect unpaid fines before renewing a vehicle’s registration. Peterson recommended the Council enter into a 28E agreement with the Cerro Gordo County Treasurer to collect the unpaid fines.
    Peterson reported that in 2007 there were 57 unpaid parking fines issued to vehicle owners living within the county. So far there are 42 unpaid in 2008. Payment of those fines will result in an estimated $3,000 in city coffers.
    The City Council directed the chief to work out the details of the plan with the City Attorney. Council members plan to continue discussion of the plan when details are worked out.

    The Clear Lake City Council gave its unanimous approval to the first reading of an ordinance which will raise rates for the city’s water and storm-water utility services.  
    Under the plan, in January 2009 the water base rate will increase by 18-cents; the water consumption rate will increase by five-cents; the storm water rate will increase by 25-cents.
    In January 2010, the rates will again go up by the same amount in each category.
    Clear Lake City Administrator Scott Flory told the Council the city has added annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments each year to water consumption and storm water utility rates, however, current rates are not sufficient to fund major capital improvement projects, operations, maintenance and debt service.
    Flory proposes staging the increases to prevent a sudden increase in rates for customers.  The plan would create an 8 percent increase over time.   The city has had no rate increases in the service, aside from CPI adjustments, since January 2003.
    Flory told the Council Clear Lake’s water rates remain among the lowest in the state, according to a water survey conducted by the City of Durant, Iowa.  Clear Lake’s proposed January 2009 rate of $16.53 for 6,000 gallon ranks 63rd among 79 municipalities surveyed with populations ranging from 56 in West Bend to 50,731 in Ames.  Ames ranked just above Clear Lake at $18.42 per 6,000.  Ellsworth, population 531, topped the survey list with a cost of $55.40 per 6,000.
    The second and third readings of the proposed ordinance will take place at the Council’s regular meetings May 5 and May 19.

    Clear Lake’s 11th Annual Earth Days celebration was kicked off Thursday at the Surf Ballroom with an After-Hours event.  Representatives of various ‘green’ groups had booths at the event and were on hand to discuss their earth-friendly efforts.  A free concert by The Boundary Water Boys and Silent Auction were also part of the night, with proceeds from the auction benefitting lake restoration.

   

    Carla Bacon and her son, Chase, were part of a crew from CL Tel which worked to pick up litter along Highway 18 in Clear Lake on Saturday.  
-Reporter photos by Marianne Morf

Girls basketball camps announced
    Clear Lake Girls Basketball Camps will be held in May and June.  All area girls are welcome to participate.  Campers will learn the fundamentals of the game, skills and play games.  Camp dates are as follows:  1st and 2nd grade, May 27-31, 9-11 a.m. at Clear Creek Elementary; 3rd and 4th grade, May 27-31, 10-11 a.m. at Clear Creek Elementary; 5th and 6th grade, May 27-May 30, 9-11 a.m. at Clear Lake High School; 7th and 8th grade, June 2-6, 10 a.m.-noon, at Clear Lake High School and 9th-12th grades, June 2-6, 8-10 a.m. at Clear Lake High School.  The camp will cost $30 for grades 1st through 6th and $50 for 7th grade and up.  A t-shirt will be available for an additional $8.  Direct any questions to Kay Bacon at 357-5235 (school) or 357-4003 (home.)
CLHS Dance Team to hold try-outs
    The Clear Lake High School Dance Team will hold try-outs for their 2008-09 team on Saturday, April 26, at the Clear Creek Gym.  The try-out routine will be taught from 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. and the judged audition will be held at noon.  Those students have may have a conflict with the try-out date may turn in a video audition prior to try-outs.  CLHS Dance Director Liz LeFevre will be at the middle school on Thursday, April 17, during the 8th grade lunch to hand out a team/try-out information packet.  She will also be available to hand out information and answer questions on Sunday, April 20, at 3 p.m. at the Clear Lake High School Gym south lobby.  For try-out information you can email clhsdanceteam@yahoo.com or go to www.angelfire.com/ia2/clearlakedanceteam.
Draft dates set for CLYAL

    Clear Lake senior Jared Sholly will complete in both the shot put and discus at the prestigious Drake Relays this weekend in Des Moines.
    Sholly qualified for the discus with a throw of 165’5” in limited action this spring. That toss set a school and Lions Invitational Record this year.   His qualifying mark in the shot put was 51’ 11 1/2”.

    Members of the Clear Lake girls track team made some outstanding performances at the Cardinal Relays in Garner Tuesday, April 15.
    Rea Faber won the long jump with a leap of 16’7”.  The mark was just one inch short of qualifying for the Drake Relays this weekend in Des Moines.  Faber was also left just shy of qualifying for Drake in the 100 meters.  She won the event with a time of 12.84, just missing the cut off.  Her third blue ribbon came in the 400 meter dash in a time of 1:05.09.
    Alana Enabnit placed first for the Lions in the 3000 meter run.  It was Enabnit’s first time running the race in a meet, and even with the wind and conditions her time was a respectable 11:56.20. Enabnit also placed first in the 1500 meter run, with a time of 5:40.47,  barely missed the qualifying mark to run at Drake.
    Casey O’Brien also had a good day for the Lions, placing second in the 800 meters in 2:42.30 and sixth in the high jump, clearing 4’4”.
    Other top finishes included Macey Hansen’s throw if 33’1”, good for third in the shot put, and Brittany Dahl’s fifth place in the 400 hurdles.  Her time was 1:38.02.
    “This was one of the girls’ best meets so far,” said Coach Heather Dingbaum.  “They ran really well and we had a lot of personal best times/distances made at this meet.”
    The coach noted the team was pleased to finished fifth in the field of eight teams.  They were ninth overall with the 16 teams in two classes combined.
    “We keep waiting for the perfect meet, where the weather conditions are just right, and the girls can all run great times but we’ll see if we ever get one of those meets this season,” said Dingbaum.
    The Lions were slated to compete Tuesday in Forest City and Friday they have a co-ed meet in Hampton.