Le Mars Rotary Club Turns 100 Years Old
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Rotary organization hosted the weekly Chamber of Commerce coffee in recognition of its 100 years of existence. Although the local civic organization officially celebrated its century anniversary with a formal awards banquet back in April, Vice President John Schneider informed
Wednesday’s gathering the local Rotary initiated its charter on June 6, 1919. Several members of the present-day Rotary club were on hand and greeted visitors for the chamber coffee held at the Service Club room of the Plymouth County Historical Museum.
Le Mars Rotary members pictured include: (left to right) Jim Klein, Norm Barker, Bruce Young, Loretta Myers, Christopher Becker, Becky Klohs, Chuck Holtz, John Schneider, Steve Harrington, Julie Beitelspacher, Jim Gergeni, and Bill Bomgaars.
Le Mars Historic Preservation Commission Posts Old Photos of Buildings Of The Past
(Le Mars) — If you have been downtown lately, you may have noticed several black-and-white photographs of buildings of the past now posted in the windows of the current existing business. The Le Mars Historical Preservation Commission decided to feature the photos as their unique contribution in honor of the Le Mars Sesquicentennial celebration. Linda Mayrose serves as a director with the Historical Preservation Commission. She says the project started nearly two years ago.
Mayrose says the Historical Preservation Commission funded the entire project without any funding assistance from the current businesses. She says the intent is to have the businesses keep the old photographs posted through the Sesquicentennial celebration. She says all the business owners were excited
about the project.
Mayrose encourages people to walk around the downtown region to view the old photographs of the businesses and buildings of past years. She says the Historic Preservation Commission looks at this as a way to tie the new with the old.
The Historic Preservation Commission director suggests people to not only look at the featured old photographs during their downtown tour, but to also look up and take a good look at the architecture of the downtown structures.
She asks if anyone knows that there is a three-story building located downtown.
Mayrose is one of the six authors of the Le Mars Sesquicentennial History Book. She says one of her favorite aspects of the book is the areas of Le Mars that has been designated as part of the National Registry of Historic Places which include the Foster Park neighborhood, the downtown district, and what was known as the W-P-A park, now known as the Municipal Park.
As we have mentioned before, the Le Mars Sesquicentennial History Book is scheduled to arrive next week during the Sesquicentennial celebration.
Le Mars Police Department Presented With State Award
(Le Mars) — Le Mars Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte announced to the city council on Tuesday that the Le Mars Police Department was recently awarded the state’s Community Police Award. Vande Vegte says other police
departments have contacted the Le Mars Police Department, and have modeled their police departments after the Le Mars Police Department. Vande Vegte says he noticed an email message from the Iowa Chief of Police Association seeking nominations for the Community Police Award. Vande Vegte says he thought the Le Mars Police Department has done an excellent job with
community relations, so he submitted Le Mars as a nominee.
The Le Mars Police Department was the only police department within the state to receive such recognition. Vande Vegte says it has special meaning, especially when you consider there are more than 740 police departments within the state of Iowa.
Vande Vegte travelled to Iowa City recently to accept the honor on behalf of the city of Le Mars and the Le Mars Police Department.
Sioux City Food Pantry To Be Evicted
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Officials say a food pantry that serves more than 5,000 people a month in Sioux City is being evicted because the building it operates from has been sold.
The Midtown Family Community Center houses the food pantry, a free Saturday meal and a 4-H program. Janet Reynolds of the Jones Street Neighborhood Coalition says the center’s closure will be a “huge loss for the community.”
Boys and Girls Home Inc. owns the building and had allowed the community center to use the building rent-free. But the building was sold last month. Boys and Girls Home is moving its programs to a centralized campus at the site of the former Indian Hills shopping center.
Reynolds says the grant funding the center receives provides only food for the pantry and Saturday meal. She says officials are looking for another neighborhood space to reopen.
State Auditor Says Sale Of AIB Campus Is Fair
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s state auditor says the pending sale of the University of Iowa’s AIB Campus for less than half its $20 million assessed value is fair.
State Auditor Rob Sand issued a report Wednesday. It says Iowa’s acceptance in May of a $7.5 million bid on the property was fair, because the $20 million assessed value was too high. The report says the proper bidding process was followed, the highest bidder was selected, and the bidders don’t appear to have any relationship with UI board members or staff that would
pose a conflict of interest.
The university revealed last year that it had lost nearly $1.2 million from its operation of the business campus in Des Moines. Officials opted to close the campus due to cuts in state funding.
