Are ticks worse this year?

(Submitted by Donald Lewis, ISU Extension entomologist)

While everyone has an opinion about "how bad" the ticks are in any given year, the bottom line is there is no statewide survey or census to measure tick abundance.  All we have are people’s perceptions, and those vary all over the place!  That’s in part because tick populations are highly variable from place to place and from moment to moment, depending on weather and other conditions.  Experiencing a large number of ticks on you or your dog after being outdoors is largely just the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Main Street Minute

By John Pleggenkuhle
MSWU board member

My name is John Pleggenkuhle, DC, board member of Main Street West Union. I moved to West Union in 2011 after spending a few years in Arizona. At that point, my wife, Andrea, and I decided to bring our children back to northeast Iowa to be closer to our families.

When we were looking for a place to call home, we were drawn to West Union as we discovered what the community had to offer. West Union, although a small rural community, appeared very progressive. While many rural communities were going by the wayside, West Union had a choice. The residents could choose to do nothing and watch as the younger generation moved to other areas, or they could choose to take steps to make their community a place that people would see as a great place to work, play, educate, shop, and raise a family.

To the editor:

To the citizens of West Union:

Currently, the geothermal contract presented to the City Council is under review with a lawyer. The lawyer is determining the compliance issues within federal and state law concerning a City-owned geothermal infrastructure and appropriate lease revenue for the access to the geo system.

I would like to comment on the first contract brought to the City for approval. The contract, if approved as presented, would have the City paying the Alliant bill for operation of the geo system, the City purchasing additional insurance (approximately $20,000 per year premium) for infrastructure below the street (think leaks), and receiving no revenue to put into an account for replacement of current infrastructure and normal depreciation costs.

To the editor:

Tobacco prevention happens on a local, national, and global level. From Youth Leadership Day to World No Tobacco Day, everyone can bring an end to tobacco use.

On May 6, the annual Eighth-Grade Tobacco Education and Youth Leadership Conference was held at EWALU in Strawberry Point. Approximately 60 students from 10 area schools were equipped with prevention messages to take back to their peers. During small breakout sessions, the students learned about Youth Advocacy, ISTEP (Iowa Students for Tobacco Education and Prevention), and Tobacco 101, which was facilitated by a group of West Central High School students.

Team-building was another big theme of the day. Through the EWALU ropes course, students were shown leadership opportunities to sustain and help their school anti-tobacco groups flourish.

From the Chairman’s Desk

By Jeanine Tellin

The month of April has been a busy month for the Supervisors. One of the articles on the agenda for the month was a meeting with Dr. Anthony Leo, who is the Fayette County medical examiner, and Mr. Chuck Geilenfeld, who is the owner of Geilenfeld Funeral Home.

 The Supervisors, medical examiner and funeral home director decided to meet to better understand the reasons behind the need for and the cost the County is incurring for autopsies.

The County currently has a budget of $70,000 to cover the cost related to autopsies.  As with many counties, we continue to see this cost increase. After meeting with Dr. Leo and Mr. Geilenfeld, we do have a better understanding of the law they must follow and what they are doing to help keep the expenses under control. 

To the editor:

We at the Motor Mill Foundation wish to thank our friends and supporters for their enthusiastic response to our gala. It is because of you the “Friends of the Motor Mill” that the bridge is once more in place at the historic Motor Mill Site.  

The replacement of the bridge was a constant reminder from Clayton County residents who used Galaxy Road for years as a shortcut to the Elkader county seat from the southwest when Grandview was still a gravel road. 

The new bridge is constructed with certain mechanical and design improvements to the original bridge, plus the steel is of a chemistry that will form a rust coating so it will never need paint or require regular maintenance. 

The design also will accommodate the road graders, heaviest fire trucks and tallest ambulances currently in use. 

To the editor:

As an Arlington native, I am writing to express my support for the establishment of the proposed Arlington Community Center back in my hometown.

Arlington has an opportunity to turn the old school that was once the center of the community into a Community Center that will serve as a gathering place, a wellness center, and a learning center. 

The Community Center will provide opportunities for all citizens across all age groups. It will provide space for exercise, family events, meetings, receptions, and class reunions. 

For all generations, the Community Center will be a great place to create lots of memories, and everyone will be proud to have it located in Arlington.

To the editor:

Remember when Michelle said, “I never loved America or was proud of America until my husband was president.” Well, Michelle, we will always love America even though Obama is president.

My grandson is a Marine. I told him, “You’re fighting for our country…not king Obama.” When king Obama began his first term, gas was $1.84 a gallon. Don’t take my word for it, look it up.

During his campaign, he said he’d be for the Keystone pipeline, 20,000 jobs and cheaper gas. I guess he forgot his promises.

He also said, “I will not raise taxes on the middle class.”

Untrue! 

He already did last month and is about to do it again. Maybe if he gets $5 to $6 gas and steals half of your paycheck, it will get your attention. 

Obama gave President Morsi of Egypt, our enemy, four fighter planes, 200 tanks and $250 million to muslim brotherhood.

To the editor:

Memorial Day will soon be here.   Memorial Day is not a day of mourning – it’s a day of celebration.  We in the Western World sometimes take for granted the lifestyle we have – the democracy, the freedom. But we need to take the time on Memorial Day to remember why we have this freedom and who was responsible for giving it to us. 

Memorial Day is typically celebrated through observances such as church services, parades, decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, and getting together with family and friends to enjoy the freedom our comrades in arms have secured for us.

American Legion Auxiliary members of West Union Unit 15 understand the sacrifices the United States armed forces have made to preserve freedom and honor past and current American service members. As a sign of their appreciation, Auxiliary members each wear a red memorial poppy on Memorial Day weekend.

To the editor:

On Earth Day we can celebrate one local success story and work together to ensure a second.

First, Lora Friest, director of the Northeast Iowa Resource, Conservation and Development, in a recent presentation showed how careful data collection, analysis, and remediation work in the Upper Iowa Watershed tributaries over the past 13 years has begun to decrease pollution. Friest noted that the previous 20-year water-testing efforts documented a steady increase in nutrient levels prior to the RC&D stepping in to help.