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Last Updated: Mar 31, 2009 - 2:29:20 PM |
housands of people around the world watched the Zehr house travel over I-80 in August via the Herald’s Website. Mitch Traphagen Photo
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VICTOR -When I began work on what would become the East Iowa Herald in November of 2007, I saw a small but vibrant town filled with people who clearly loved their community. Victor was the perfect place to start the paper. Being a such a small town I thought the demands of running the newspaper would be fairly light - light enough, anyway, that I could work on other projects during down times.
Boy, was I wrong about that.
There is a great deal happening in this town and in the area - more than I could ever possibly run in the number of pages I could afford to print each week. I knew the Herald would hit the ground running with the Iowa caucuses but, of course, I didn’t expect the next week would contain the earth-shattering news of the bankruptcy filing of Victor Plastics. From there, the news got better, though - I watched as the Victor Community Development Association - and the entire community - rallied to ensure that jobs wouldn’t be lost, that somehow, someway, the company would continue.
And so it went each week. Never once did I sit down at a press deadline wondering if I would have enough content to fill the paper - my dilemma was the reverse - I often wondered how I could possibly fit everything in.
In January, along with stories about the caucuses and Victor Plastics, was a story about Troy Bedell, a local serviceman that had been found beaten and left for dead in Florida. Bedell’s family and the community as well, rushed to support him - and today he has resumed his service to our nation in the U.S. Navy.
In February, the first rays of good news began to shine down as River Bend Industries of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, expressed an interest in purchasing Victor Plastics. It appeared that the company, which was deeply intertwined in the Victor community and across East Iowa, could be saved.
Competing for the big news of that month, of course, was the HLV Warriors basketball team earning a berth in the Iowa State Basketball Tournament. That team of young men inspired the community - and it seemed everywhere people began digging out 35-year-old copies of the Victor Record newspaper which heralded the last team to achieve such success in 1973.
For the Iowa County Board of Supervisors, events were set into motion with an offer of an early retirement plan for employees of the road department. The hope was to avoid layoffs but in the end, the issue may have cost one supervisor his seat on the board. Also, Marengo realtor Tom Sandersfeld brought the issue of flood insurance to the board. In an eerie precursor to the floods that would take place just months later, Sandersfeld pointed out that mortgage lenders were tightening requirements and the sale of homes in unincorporated parts of the county were being effected by the lack of participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
In March, the Warriors fell in the semi-finals game of the state tournament but ended up as champions winning the state consolation championship. For the Herald, the result was the largest newspaper up to that time with a special section that included action photographs in Wells Fargo Arena of each and every player on the team.
Later in the month, River Bend Industries signed a purchase agreement to buy Victor Plastics.
Also in March, delinquent water bills first became an issue for the Victor City Council. The council would eventually pass new rules to reduce such delinquencies.
In April, just over three months after the devastating news of the Victor Plastics bankruptcy, River Bend Industries completed their purchase of the company, thus ensuring that jobs and new opportunities would remain in the area.
or many in the area, the HLV Warriors 2008 consolation championship was the highlight of the year. Above, the team with their trophy at Wells Fargo Arena. Mitch Traphagen Photo
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Also that month, a tornado touched down near Victor, severely damaging a home but causing no injuries. The Iowa County Board of Supervisors hired Paul Greufe, a human resources consultant, to create an employee handbook and manage H.R. issues.
In May, the Warriors track team continued the school’s athletic success by winning the SICL title. The Warriors went on to also win the district title. Several members of both the HLV and Iowa Valley track teams went on to the state track meet in Des Moines. HLV’s Lacy Jahlas set a school record in the shot put - she then re-set that record two more times.
Also in May, The Iowa County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution for county-wide participation in the National Flood Insurance Program - and the increasing cost of gravel for road repairs after the harsh winter became an issue.
Also in that month, HLV senior Jared Herzberg was named the recipient of the first-ever East Iowa Herald scholarship. The $500 scholarship went towards his continued education at Kirkwood Community College.
Finally, the Parks of Victor Committee reached - and then exceeded - their financial goals to build a new city park on Second Street. The funds came from grants, numerous donations from individuals around the area, donations from businesses, including the new kid in town, River Bend Industries, and a large matching donation by Orville and Loanna Bloethe.
Flooding dominated the news in the month of June. Around the area, hundreds of volunteers turned out to fill sandbags and, in Victor, students and residents alike teamed up to successfully save the concession stand at the baseball fields. Homes, roads and basements flooded in the area while large portions of Cedar Rapids were devastated.
Also in June, Iowa Valley Schools superintendent Laurene Lanich resigned her position.
By July, the worst of the flooding was over and the summer-time celebrations began with the first annual Victor Fun Day. The town also had another reason to celebrate - a winning season for the HLV baseball team. The team’s season ended at the district finals.
In August, people around the world saw a unique sort of parade through Victor - Eric Zehr and his family moved a house from town to the country-side. Thousands of people watched the video of the event on the Herald’s Website.
Also that month, Ladora held their annual Ladora Fun Fest and Marengo resident Candi Schmieder was asked by the Barack Obama campaign to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
In September, Marengo resident Brent Nelson was named that city’s new administrator and newly minted celebrity Sarah Palin made her first ever visit to Iowa, stopping with Republican candidate John McCain in Cedar Rapids.
October contained one of the highest of the highlights of the year for this newspaper as the Herald chronicled a visit to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., by Iowa County veterans.
In Marengo, Pennies for the Park reached their financial goal to purchase new playground equipment for the downtown park and author Cindy Gerard hit the New York Times Bestseller list with her book, “Show No Mercy.”
Also that month, the woes of the national economy hit home as Whirlpool in Middle Amana laid off 440 employees.
In November, the big news, of course, was the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Locally, Ric Gerard, after serving for 12 years on the Iowa County Board of Supervisors, lost his independent bid for re-election.
In athletics, the HLV Warriors football team continued an incredible string of sports success for the school by advancing to the state quarter-finals game.
In December, Iowa County Sheriff Nick Roggentien brings 30 years of service to a close with his retirement. Victor celebrated their annual Old Fashioned Christmas - considered by many to be the best ever - and the HLV Warriors basketball team ended the year undefeated and on top of the SICL.
As the curtain falls on 2008, it also does so on the East Iowa Herald. It has been an honor chronicling such an outstanding year. Thank you for letting us take part in your lives.
There were no shortage of newsmakers in East Iowa during the year. From top, President-elect Barack Obama, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Iowa County veterans visiting Washington, D.C. In the photo above, Victor resident Robert Demeulenaere speaks with a young man at the World War II Memorial. Mitch Traphagen Photos
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Skies: CloudyTemperature: 34F 1CDewpoint: 25F -4CRelative Humidity: 69%Wind: NE at 5m - 8kBarometric Pressure: 30.20FUpdated: 11:54:02 PM
